The Disorder Seven
by Karasu Sora
Summary: A heart can hold many things, but could it hold someone else's life in it as well? POST KH, Slight pairings/AU
1. Zero Heart

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**Prologue**

"Korazon"

コラゾン

_Sigh._

The small girl sat atop one of the cobblestone steps in front of the small shop. It was right in the middle of the first district in town, underneath a neverending night sky filled with stars. The little girl, possibly around thirteen years of age, crossed her lanky legs together and tilted her head upwards. So far, she practically leaned her entire body back, touching the step behind her with it. No sounds were heard, only the echoing machinery inside the shop, right at the very top of it where the Moogles worked all night and... night. But she paid no heed to the usual noises she heard around here during her breaks. All she could do right now was gaze with big round eyes at the continuous blinking twinkles.

They shone for a couple of minutes as the corners of her mouth tilted ever so slightly at the "prettiness" of it. It was then that she turned her head, left and right, ever so slowly to make sure there was no one around, her brightly colored eyes slitting as she tried to catch anyone or anything hiding around there.

And right when she was satisfied with her second of ninja stealth, a wide grin plastered on her face instantly, her right arm lifting up toward the sky as if to catch something with her small hands.

"Nnnrgh..."

Her tongue poked out from her mouth and her eye closed shut in concentration as she tried with all her might to "catch a star" in her palm.

_Bet'cha if the st'pid ninja could do it, I can too!_

She reached and reached, her other hand supporting her body as she lifted up inch by inch from the ground till finally...

"BRAT!"

"Whaa-whoaaa!"

The girl crashed to the side, losing her balance her entire body just went rolling down the two smaller steps in front of her. She landed with small grunt onto her back, an annoyed expression clearly visible on her face just as her arms came to her front and crossed together in a huff. She had been so close too! But the owner of the shout now stepped forward, his boots clunking down on each notch till he eventually stood beside her head. The said girl looked at him, his face shadowed away from the moonlight as he towered over her like some gigantic monster.

"Just what in the godamn world were you doin'?! I thought I told ya to actually do somethin' productive during yer breaks!"

The kid didn't answer.

She just gave him a nice hand gesture.

"Wha--?! WHERE'D YOU LEARN THAT FRO--?! Oh. Right..."

The man in question gave a chuckle as he rose a burly hand to his chin, scratching the stubble on it as his toothpick in his mouth rolled over to the other side. Not a minute passed before he then leaned down and swiftly grabbed the girl, hauling her off onto his shoulder before he went off in the direction of the shop. She gave a yell and promptly started to punch at the man's back.

"Let go of me, gramps! You stupid old man!! I was doin' some'min productive! It's right the--!!"

Before the little girl could finish her sentence, she had at that moment looked right up to her stars only to find them gone. Vanished and away from her hold, she blinked a couple of times, her head tottering as the man stepped up to the shop to open the door.

"Moogle'll got yer tongue, brat?"

She didn't answer, only kept her head up to the sky as the annoyed look she had on had now slowly disappeared, her eyes going big again. Her hands slowly clutched onto the man's shoulder, her lip trembling as she shook slightly. But she wouldn't allow it, she wouldn't allow herself to... to do that stupid act! If the ninja didn't do it, then so wouldn't she! Her head swiftly snapped down as her forehead touched his shoulder with a struggled cough, hands gripping tightly. The man noticed this and gave an inaudible sigh before he brought her to his view in front of him, managing for the life of him to make her unclench her hands from him.

He noticed the eye her eyes darted away from him, how they were ready to explode with tears and just how badly she was trying to not let them fall.

"'EY, LOOK AT ME!"

She gave a jump at his exclamation, her eyes somehow becoming bigger by the second. The color within them shone brightly, oddly even as eyes weren't supposed to glow like that or even that color really.

The older man sighed, this time reaching her ears as he shook his head, mostly at his 'gentle' approach of course. He held her in his arms and awkwardly patted his hand to her back, unsure of what he should do with the girl he had taken in. He had known her for litter over a year, had her working in his shop and had grown accustomed to the little brat in a way he hadn't expected. Of course, she was still brat. A rude brat at that, but he supposed that he had some help in that department. And if he said he wasn't proud of it, he would be down right lying and Cid Highwind wasn't a lier.

"Jus' cry, kid. Don't think the ninja doesn't do it too, ya know?"

There was a moment of silence as she rested her head back on his shoulder, her nose sniffling before she replied.

"R-really?"

"Sure does, ya jus' don't see it."

"..."

"The ninja, believe it or not, is a biiig crybaby. The biggest I've seen!"

A small snort erupted from the girl and not long after that, she was down right laughing, asking in between if it was really true, only to receive another confirmation of the most amazing revelation she had heard thus far.

"There, see? All better, kid?"

Her laughter died out slowly and as soon as she was able to speak again, she nodded her head and brought her hands to her cheeks, wiping away the stupid act from her face. Cid grinned and chuckled, letting her down from his hold, setting her before him as he opened the door to the shop fully. The girl sniffed some more, bringing her hands back down to her sides as she mumbled a word, her eyes set down to his boots. The man didn't need to ask what she had said, he knew exactly what it was and wasn't going to ask her again. Just knowing what the word had been was enough and he would let it slide... this time.

"Now then, if we're done here..."

Oh great. She knew what was coming and gulped once, tentatively looking up at him as her hands wringed around the dusty apron she had on.

"BACK TO WORK, BRAT!"

The girl quickly raised her hand to her forehead in a salute before dashing away in a blur of black into the shop and down the winding staircases that led to the gummi ship garage. Cid looked on and then placed his hand to his hips, chewing on the tip of his famed toothpick for a moment more, letting another snigger escape his lips as he shook his head slowly. He then stepped into the shop himself to be met with the clangs and hammers that came from the basement, shutting the door behind him.

_This is gonna be one damn long day... sheesh_.

* * *

_Screams._

They echoed through the steel hallways and bounced off the crystal clear windows adorning them.

Everytime she parted her lips, the noise grew stronger.

She struggled against her assailants, then friends, the cold metal around her wrists twisting further into

her skin. The inside of the clasps was gritty, scratching at her like claws, drawing lines of crimson regret.

_Scared. _

The news of _his_ capture had reached her well beyond the moment she was taken by force and without

any explanation.

But they were Turks, they needed no reason.

Her head turned to one body's length window at the side, a stark white room filled with laboratory

equipment rested on the dying space in it.

_**Tack tack tack.**_

The pace grew faster now, the heels of their boots smacking against the floor.

_**Tack tack tack tack tack.**_

Another scream escaped her and a glare shot out of her eyes at him. The red-headed one.

"What's going on?!"

_Silence. _

"Hey, why aren't you answering me?!"

He only looked her way for a moment and for that second, she could swear that those blaring green

eyes, ones that always held a cynical and snarky flare, now showed a hint of remorse. Sympathy.

_Ticking._

"W-what... Reno?"

But he didn't answer and kept her still, hauling her off down the hallway as before.

_**Crash!**_

A swift kick by Reno's boot.

_**Woosh!**_

The doors busted open.

_**Slam!**_

He dragged her into another direction.

The other Turk followed along silently but with a much firmer grasp on her arm then his counterpart.

She gave short gasp at the sudden change.

Her knees buckled.

They stuck weakly not because of the action from the red-headed man, but of the smell that blasted

straight into her nostrils as the doors opened. A hospital smell, without a certain name but one that you

could easily identify no matter what. After struggling to keep her pace, she was met with a blinding

light from above, a nauseating fluorescent glare. One of the many rows of them was blinking rapidly in

an inconsistent blink, giving sharp crackles into the air.

Bile bubbled up in her throat.

In this room were four people, three were females, dressed in equally white uniforms. Each one doing a

different task, looking busy.

_**Clack clack clack.**_

The other was a tall man with graying hair pulled into a tight ponytail, hunched over a notepad,

adjusting his glasses.

_Hojo._

It seemed that she wasn't the only one having trouble with the atmosphere. A grunt from her right side,

where Reno was, came to her ears, striking a visible image of his face marred with disgust in her mind.

The smell was of syringes, hydrogen peroxide, stale holds of leather, sheets wafting the smell of fresh

laundry but failing at it horribly, I.V's filled with anaesthesia or anti-biotics and an even stronger scent

of iron intertwined throughout it all.

_Blood. _

Her eyes squeezed shut as soon as she detected that stench, her mouth letting out shaky gasps of air, her

nose refusing all such entry of the stink. She felt Reno's hand tug her forward, her feet now barely

dragging themselves across the linoleum-like flooring.

But the gesture, having been repeated several times for the past couple of minutes, urged her to open

her eyes again and she quickly regretted doing so. The sight that met her wasn't one she expected and it

wasn't one she ever wished on anyone, not even her enemies.

_It was splattered all around him._

A man she considered her friend, having soon claiming the title of 'best', was laying atop a sanitized

gurney, arms and legs strapped tightly. But that image alone wasn't what sent electrifying shudders

down her spine, it was the blood that covered him and the way the vile light above exposed the bullet

wounds across his chest. It was also the way his eyes were staring, half-lidded, at the faux lighting.

Those eyes.

Full of dreams, honor... and happiness.

"_Watch out!"_

Now lifeless.

"_Cloud, run!"_

Dead.

"Ahh, there is my... little pet."

_His voice, it was like acid_.

The bile finally let up, escaping her mouth in sputters as she coughed violently.

Her throat instantly closed up, choking her, swiftly turning her head to the side. Hands then limp, now rapidly thrashed, her right hand punched at the other man to her left.

"I don't remember her being this _feisty_. Bring her here."

Neither men moved from their spot, managing to get her attacks under control they stayed perfectly still.

"_NOW_."

The man at her left moved. Slowly.

But Reno stayed frozen in his spot, causing the other man to halt in his steps and give the red-head a look. She couldn't tell what kind, if it was good or bad, her vision had started to blur in and out.

The room was spinning.

_Violently_.

It was disorienting as the floor seemed to bounce in jagged edges and the voices sounded far away.

"Now what?"

Reno.

Echoes.

"Excuse me?"

"Now what? What are you planning on doin' to her?"

"None of your business, Turk."

No answer.

Clangs of instruments hit metallic surfaces.

The other man tugged slightly at my arm, while Reno held onto my other, possibly contemplating.

_Tick._

_Tock. _

_It's my job. I'm a Turk. _

_Tick._

_I will... follow all orders._

_Tock._

_No matter what._

Finally, he followed the other man, leading her forward some more. She lifted her head up slowly, licking her lips once, immediately contorting her face into a cringe, the bitter taste hitting her tongue. While the acid-like feeling swirled in her mouth, her eyes caught the sight of another gurney besides his. It was sparkling clean unlike the one next to it but it had the same attachments nonetheless.

"_It happened so fast, I... can hardly remember anything. I don't even think I struggled. I.. .gave up."_

In the blink of one of the broken lights, she was strapped into the bed, metal clasps replaced by leather, tighter around her wrists and ankles. Another one constricted around her waist and one atop her forehead.

"S-stop... "

She gave a grunt before catching a blur of red. But as soon as she saw it, the faster it disappeared out of sight.

Alone.

She was all alone now.

"_He left. But, I can't blame him. I mean, afterall... he was following orders, right?"_

All except for...

"_But I don't think he wanted to."_

Her head turned slowly, as much as it could under her restraints, attention facing the body next to her. The single action didn't do any good as her eyes quickly blurred again, tears filling them. She refused to blink as her gaze watered, the liquid threatening to fall as soon as she harshly bit down on her bottom lip.

It was choking her again, her throat shutting up again.

Her lungs pounded in her ribcage.

Her heart beat like a drum, faster and faster, it didn't stop.

Footsteps met her ears, followed by some more and a distorted voice accompanied it, her mind filtering through them. Because the only thing she cared about right now was him.

"Z-zack..."

"We are ready, Doctor."

"Yes, yes, yes. Alright, take notes down. Label it file number: 1407."

She moved her wrists and then her legs, the straps gave a forced noise, the buckles twinkling against the light.

_Clang clang._

"Zack... please... please."

A gurgled sob escaped her, a cough barely making its way through.

"SOLDIER rank: second."

She moved faster now, thrashing, trying to arch her back as she yelled.

_Ignore._

"WAKE UP!!!"

"Test patient: Raynie Sol."

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"

Screaming, louder, harder.

The straps groaned with the pulls, but they didn't give way.

"Commence the operation."

"Yes, Doctor. I—what should we label this under?"

"ARRGH!! AHHH!!! LET ME GO!!"

"Hmph. Label it... what you wish. Little difference in the matt—For the Planet's sake, shut her up!"

"Y-yes, Doctor!"

The nurse scrambled with the others, letting her clipboard come down with a bang as she moved rapidly to the girl's side with syringe in hand. With a swift arm, she pierced her neck, injecting the liquid inside in seconds.

"AHH---!! Ah..."

It was a fake calm, sedating her emotions, allowing her tears to fall freely down her pale face. She was immobile, her legs and arms no longer moving, no longer fighting. While her body seemed to be paralyzed and her head still turned toward him, she was still well aware of her surroundings, of the pain that throbbed and stabbed into her heart. How her lungs seemed to collapse and rise in a fluid movement. How she could still hear the crackling of the broken light nearby.

She could feel needles pressing into her arms, along her knuckle and around the nook of her elbow.

"_I... fell asleep. I think. Weird, you know? I could still hear them talking and..." _

Darkness.

Lost there and all alone.

Her legs couldn't take her anywhere, she couldn't run or jump, she couldn't scream anymore.

"Anaesthesia is running, Doctor. She is fully sedated."

"_They or her anyway, said I was under anaesthesia but..."_

"Hmm. Knife."

A silent nod came his way, she was sure of it. Raynie could hear more clangs as objects shifted around, hands grabbing, fingers intertwining around the sharp blades and various other tools.

A slow movement of a pump filled the room, pushing air out and back in.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

It was her heart, drugged away slowly from the real desire of wanting to beat faster than that. Of wanting to burst out of her ribcage and explode like a bomb.

"_I could feel everything."_

A flash of pain.

Hot, searing pain.

It coursed through her veins, filling her head with a rapid needle-like stab.

_**Slash! **_

Her entire body burned with pain.

She wanted to scream till her throat cracked and shattered away.

"_AGHHH!!!"_

Anxiety hit her fast, her legs, her arms, her entire body begging to move, to fight.

Paralyzed.

Her body was paralyzed, she couldn't do anything.

"_Every blade cutting into me."_

"_STOP IT!!!"_

The pain stabbed into her again, slashing away at her chest in slow deliberate moves. Making the hellish feeling go even slower, last even longer.

The sound of clothes tearing and skin ripping.

"_The way he cut open my chest."_

More cuts, more needles.

Ribcage cracking open.

"_NOOO!!! STOP!!!!" _

She hoped that she would just die soon, that her body would just collapse under the agonizing torment.

Her screams filled her up inside and on the outside she was as still as a corpse.

_Beeeeeeep._

Flatlined.

Everything stopped, what seemed like hours was now over in seconds.

The pain stopped, everything stopped.

The darkness still trapped her, encasing her in every further. It was bliss and no one could hurt her again.

It was all over.

_Beeeeeep._

She sought out that light at the end of the tunnel and maybe she could see him again.

_Beeeeep._

But...

_Beeeeeep... beeep beeep beep beep..._

It never came.

"A success, Doctor. Her body did not reject his heart, she is remarkably stable."

"_Go... away."_

"Excellent. Begin the Mako processing. The real test comes now, to see if she can take it."

"Calculations say that the chances of her body being able to hold it are very high. With his heart in her now, she should be stronger... more capa--"

"_Heart. His... heart. W-where...?"_

"Just get on with it, woman. Go!"

"Y-yes, Doctor."

"And you, stitch her up before she loses more blood. We can't afford her dying yet."

"Of course, Doctor."

The voices faded, consuming so much time as she felt her body being unstrapped and then carried. An ache encased her, like a headache all over. The stabbing stopped, but the feeling of knives slowly withdrawing from her body met her.

Blades jagged and full of rust, the tips crinkled so it stuck to her skin before fully departing. She didn't scream on the inside anymore, she couldn't anymore as the pain was all over numbing. But then another wave punched at her, a knockout throw.

Icy cold hit her straight on. It flowed into her veins, surrounded her all over as if she was being filled with ice cubes from head to toe. Hands left her, leaving her floating and she wondered for a moment if she was dead or not.

"_He wasn't there, so I guessed I wasn't at the time. They had stuck me in a tube." _

The blaring cold filled the vastness in her lungs, poured out her mouth and back in, a tube helping with that. More things were stuck into her arms and legs, one protruding out the side of her waist and another at the center of her chest.

She found that she had regained some movement in her eyelids after the Planet only knows how long. It could have been hours, maybe days even. Her eyelids parted, an aqueous material meeting her eyes at once, instantly her eyes shut once more and decided it was best for now to keep them that way.

Just until this hell was over with.

Sounds vocalized and droned on and on, the liquid around her breaking the tones and pitches.

It was a complete cacophony of dismantled voices.

"_I don't know how long I was there for."_

"Doctor, the mako... her body isn't rejecting it."

"Another success, I see. Interesting, very interesting indeed. A peculiar subject you will be, Raynie."

"_It was probably days, months, years actually."_

"Now we observe the side effects and so forth. Nothing more until she is ready."

"Um, Doctor... and... the body?"

"_There is one thing I'm happy about though." _

"Hmph. He is of no use to me any longer. He chose this fate for himself. He is... useless now. A fodder for trash now, dispose of him."

"A-are you sure? Surely we could extract more information on the effects of mako in hi--?"

"Dispose of him now. Burn him, throw him to the creatures, I do not care! Just make him disappear out of my sight!"

"Yes, Doctor! I will do so immediately."

"No. Just burn him, so there is no evidence left behind."

Silence met her again and if she could, her tears would have been pouring from the very depths of her. And whether she had run out of them or she simply couldn't, she didn't cry.

She didn't yell or scream.

She didn't die.

She didn't meet him again.

She was only met with the company of darkness for years.

"_I'm happy... that the last thing I saw... was his face next to me."_

_

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_

_CRASH!_

A gasp bellowed out from her mouth, her body sitting up in a flash as she clung the bed sheets close to her frail body. A choked sob escaped her lips for a second just as her hands came flying up to cover her mouth. No, not again!

Lightning.

Just stupid lighting.

The air was cold, just like her nightmare, and she looked over to the open door of the balcony, the curtains swishing in a dance with the night wind. She stayed in that position for some minutes before she finally scrambled around with the fabric of the bed, her feet meeting the floor with a snap as she stood up.

Raynie swiftly dodged the bed that sat opposite of hers, throwing deadly glares at the bundle beneath the sheets, but sure enough her glares more than likely only met night air. A pout formed on her mouth before she realized that if she kept standing there her feet were likely to freeze off! So she moved over to the open doors in a hurry, a small skip to her step, grasped the brass handles with small fingers and slammed it shut with a bang, hoping to awake the accuser of said doors being open in the first place.

"Whaaa?! OH! W-what's goin' on?! I-is it Heartless?! C-cause I ain't scared! Let me at'em!!"

She slowly turned her head toward the yell, a bored look masking her tired face as she threw another glare at the girl. She wore eye covers and was fumbling around in her own bed, her hands reaching around blindly. Raynie, as much as the sight was amusing, moved over and with one move of her hand against the girl's side...

_**BAM!**_

"O-oow...mrrph"

The ninja now found herself face first against the floor, her legs bended above her as she let out a string of curses. Courtesy of Cid of course.

"Grrrr, next time will be waaaay worse, ya st'pid ninja!." Raynie let out with a grumble, jumping up on the girl's cot before making one leap over the girl and to her own. Yuffie finished her curses and quickly got up from the floor with her ninja skills that served her well all of her years. They have not failed her yet. She was the best ninja in the entire world! No, universe!

Before Raynie could settle herself in more comfortably into her mattress, curling tightly into a ball, and hopefully resume her sleep, nightmares and all, a hard pillow thwacked her straight onto her head. She gave a startled jump, her legs straightening as she sat up, letting the pillow fall onto her lap.

A slow maniacal chuckle came from the opposite end of the room, to which Yuffie ended with a raspberry. "Pssshh, let's see ya try, baka." She added, a click of her tongue followed before she fell silent and huffed out slow snores. Slow. Loud. Snores.

The other girl had the pillow raised high above her head, ready to retaliate and start yet another pillow fight as was their custom practically every night. But instead, she gave a grumble and rolled her eyes, turning her head back slowly before allowing herself to fall back to her pillows.

"Mark my words, dummy, st'pid... st'pid, st'pid ninja."

But her words fell on deaf ears as the snore increased and she found her arms clutching the same thrown pillow around her head. It was a lousy attempt to block out the noise, but either way it allowed some kind of comfort against the thundering noises outside of the hotel.

Eventually she let her eyes droop down, blinking them back open, fighting the urge to sleep like every other night but in the end she always lost. She always found herself at the hands of the all time winner of these battles, whether she liked to or not. Obviously, she did not.

"_Embrace your dreams. Always. No matter what." _

A voice echoed in her head suddenly. It was a familiar voice even if she didn't know whose it was.

It always gave her comfort and she never questioned it.

Her eyes immediately shut close, her teeth grinding into her bottom lip as she heard his voice. Who are you? She felt the pillow become slightly soaked by her cheeks, but she ignored it with all her might, refusing to acknowledge that she had committed that unforgivable act with her eyes. And even as she cringed at the soothing voice, she still uttered out a whisper, two simple words she always said to the emptiness of the night in hopes that it might reach her protector. The one who always spooked away the nightmares.

"G'night."

* * *

**A/N:** Don't worry, this will make sense soon enough. I promise! Special thanks to Takushi Rena (author of the same name on here with spiffy fan fics as well)! She really helped me out with this, so thank you! :D And to anyone that critiques/reviews, thank you as well!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own FFVII or KH.... -sniff- Deessspaaaairrr.


	2. One Moogle

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**One **

"Moogle"

モーグリ

Every night had been the same.

The nightmare, screams and all.

And then the calming voice shortly after to whom she would promptly bid good night to and resume her night's sleep.

Raynie never told anyone about the nightmares, not even when she practically awakened the entire hotel with her yells. She especially didn't tell anyone about the voice in her head. No, not the kind that subconsciously hints at you in times of need. This one replied back and didn't just appear in those certain times. Actually, it was beginning to dig its nose far too often for her liking. So she basically went along with it, delusional or not, she kept talking to him. Whoever he was anyway, he obviously knew her somehow and though she always asked him about that, he never answered or he simply dodged the question with another one.

"_Hey, uhh... um..." _

"_Yeah?" _

"_So uh, who're you?"_

"_You'll know, when you get older." _

"_I'm old enough already!" _

"_You're thirteen... a shrimp. Heh, I highly doubt that's old enough, don't you?" _

"_No! I can fight an' everythin'!"_

"_You could use some work."_

"_Hmph. St'pid..."_

She banged at the hard metal, her fingers gripping tightly along the handle of the hammer as she made a face of concentration. The one little dent that lined the gummi ship in front of her was a tough one to get rid of, her hits becoming weaker, hitting certain areas to make the material slick and solid like it had been before its accident. _This is so st'pid! He totally lied!_ She had heard the customer saying it had been asteroids and heartless, her head poking out from above the counter by Cid as he took down the repairing order. Raynie never really paid any attention to the orders or how much they munny they cost, just the stories behind them. How the pilot got out of it, how did it happen in the first place, was anyone hurt and so on.

That's what interested her.

The adventure.

As Cid scribbled down the details, she could only think of how exactly she could get to experience that. Those adventures she heard so much about. Squall had told her of a few and so had Aerith, but she tended to tone it down more because of her age, so she preferred Squall's stories most of the time. Aerith had reprimanded him a few times after hearing him give the most detailed battle scenes she had ever heard and she doubted the ninja had heard worse too. It was a good thing Squall didn't really care for their 'innocence' when it came to telling battle stories, simply saying that they were going to know about it in years time anyway and that only made her more excited about it.

When Cid had finished with the order, she quickly swiped it away before he could even hand it to her. Raynie promptly started to read the repairs labeled on the pad of yellow paper, dragging her gloved fingers along each line as she read. The older man let out a grumble, looking down at her just as the door chimed when the customer had stepped out.

"Impatient, aren't ya?"

"Hrm... hm....oohhh, this is it?! That's all?!"

"Yea, not so many damages, see? The guy really has some imagination in that damn skull of his with that story."

"Gaawww... dis'ppoint men."

"Dis-A-point-ment."

"Whatever."

She went off in the direction of the garage entry, stomping down the swirling staircase that led to the gummi ships in the shop. The girl made it to the last step, bunching up the paper into the dront pocket of the work apron she had on, full of dust and oil smears. Without a pause, she knew that it was just going to be another boring day in the shop. Nothing but her, gummi ships and some tools in the bleak garage. With a sigh, Raynie made her way over to the numbered ship, sticking her tongue at it promptly when she caught sight of the little dent. So she started to bang at it from certain points with a hammer she had gotten off the large tool box to the side and she kept doing that for what seemed like hours.

_Squeak._

The girl gave a jump, dropping the hammer onto the concrete floor. She looked around cautiously, making sure to look toward her back just in case. A frown marking her face, she bended down and grabbed the hammer back into her two hands, figuring the noise hadn't actually existed and it was just voices in her head. Just like him...

_Squeeeaak_.

_Squeak._

"AHH!"

Another jump, but this time she gripped the tool in her hands tightly, ready to attack at the intruder. Knowing full well what it was only made her strengthen her hold on the hammer, her body backing up against the gummi ship.

"_Yeah, uhh... I, do _not_ squeak for your information."_

"Shhh!"

"_... Did a little girl just shush m--?" _

_Squeeaaakkk._

The said intruder made its presence as it floated out from behind a black gummi ship that was near by, It was one of those top of the line ones, all shiny with all the works included. Raynie could only clench her teeth together at the sight of the round thing, it's purple pom-pom bouncing slowly as it made its way toward her. At this action, her eyes started to emit a soft glow, green-ish rings swirling into the bright blue of her oculars. Her fear was starting to get the best of her, sending slow stings into her eyes at the same time, causing her to blink rapidly before focusing at the ever approaching moogle.

Slowly coming toward her.

"_Just calm down, it's harmless."_

"_Says you... whoever you are."_

So, slowly.

"Eeep, j-just... just stay where ya are, ya dumb moogle!"

Oh, how she hated those things.

As if her nightmares weren't bad enough, she had to work under the same roof as them! Everyone called them cute and huggable, but she called them assassins in disguise. Just when you're hugging them, they'll attack. It was the perfect plan for those things! Who's to say they would do just that? Their pom-pom's are probably weapons! She shuddered at the thought of hugging that... thing. It had stopped just a few feet away, it's head tilted to one side curiously. Raynie had the hammer ready to attack now just in case, but it only stayed there, staring with its stitched eyes, if they were eyes at all anyway.

_Squeak._

"W-what do ya want now?!"

They always came around at random times. Either one or two of them would just drop by, float around and go away. But she highly doubted that's what they were doing, they had something in mind, a plan. And good or bad, she kind of didn't care at the moment. All she wanted was for it to get out and back into its own work space with its other assassins-in-disguise friends.

"Well?"

_Squeak._

It tilted its fuzzy head to the other side now for a moment and then it turned around and floated toward the exit, squeaking all the way. The purple-haired girl stayed in her spot for minutes more, staring at the spot where the fluffy white creature had been with wide eyes. Her hands had been in front of her, pointing the blunt end of the hammer towards it, but now she let her arms drop, letting only on hand grip onto the tool by her side. At the same time, the radiant light in her eyes died down, resuming their crystal blue color but still holding an odd sparkle within them as she sighed and kicked her foot to the ground. False alarm, she guessed. But now she was sure to let her guard up, just as a precaution, while she worked.

Just as she was about to bang at the ship again, something caught her eye. Nothing shiny or bright, but... something missing.

Missing from the expensive black ship.

Missing while she was supposed to be in charge of all ships in the garage.

Missing... shortly after the moogle left.

The moogle!

At the front of the ship was an empty block space where an intricate insignia had once been. She remembered quite well that that was one of the many parts on the spacecraft that looked costly. And now, it was gone.

"Oh, shi--"

"_Gramp's gonna kill me!"_

Raynie scrambled to the ship, looking at it from all angles to make sure nothing else was missing. At the same time however, her hands were shaking, gazing around the working space to see if maybe, just maybe, the part had fallen off.

"_Aw, come on, he wouldn't do that. Just explain it to him and it'll be fine!"_

This was far worse than that one time she had been a little too curious for her own. A ship had come in, seeking repair as usual and all she was charged to do with it was fix some scratches along it's wings. So she did just that. But then some glimmering beckoned her forward: the keys. One thing let to another, to another and... to another. Well, eventually the ship successfully made it's way straight through the ceiling, missing Cid who was above taking a nap by inches, unfortunately missing the moogles further up as well only for it to come crashing straight into the other district, right into Gizmo's shop.

Now the girl looked straight into the boarded up hole in the ceiling nearby, grimacing at the yells and curses she had thrown at her. Not to mention all the extra un-paid work she had to do afterwards. She called it child-abuse, Cid called it "paying back every damn munny orb even if it meant working till she was of old age".

Her head tilted back down toward the empty space and though it blended into the craft due to its pitch color, you could still clearly see the indent of the hole. By her sides, her hands clenched tightly into fists, her right hand tightening its fingers around the wooden hold of the hammer with anger. She could practically see red even though her eyes started glowing a fierce green, the blueness twisting around in jagged lines and rings.

"Friggin'... st'pid... moogles..."

"_Sure it was the moog--?" _

"ARRGH!!!"

Like a bolt of lightening she sped up the stairs, bolting past the door that led into the main area of the shop where Cid was leisurely munching on a yakitori. The door opened with a bang as she ran by it and over to the second staircase that led into the moogles headquarters. All the while, she was yelling and screaming words that no little girl should ever speak.

Cid could only stop mid-bite as he saw the blur of black, blinking into empty space before he shrugged his shoulders and continued his lunch break. Whatever had happened he didn't want to know... yet. When he did, he was sure that it wasn't going to be anything joyous because more than likely it involved one of the gummi ships in his care. Ships he was entrusted with and that alone started to make his blood boil as crashed and bangs came through the ceiling above him. Now, as much as he wanted to finish devouring his food and see the aftermath of the war going up in the moogle's shop of... whatever they did up there, he knew he had to intrude. Quite frankly, he mostly did it because he didn't want a certain incident to happen again.

"_You have to stop being careless! She's learning those words from you, Cid, I know it." _

"_She'll learn them eventually, sh**, why not start early?"_

_Aerith stared at the older man with a calm face, her hands holding the now empty flower basket as she had been selling her precious star dust roses and midnight kora tulips that day. She then closed her eyes and turned around, her back facing him as she mumbled out a few words that Cid's ear couldn't quite catch, but he was sure the word 'sorry' was in there somewh--_

_The flower girl swiftly turned on her heel and raised the sturdy basket, letting it fall down straight onto his head._

_BANG! _

"_OW! What the crap was that for?!"_

"_I-I'm so sorry! Oh, my planet, did it hurt that much? Umm, no, forget that! It was for the best!"_

"_Best? EXACTLY WHAT F****** DEFINITION OF BEST DO YOU KNOW OF?!" _

_The man proceeded to rub his head where he was sure there was going to be a bump soon, a fumbled string of curses escaping his mouth as Aerith looked on at him with a worried look. _

"_I... would heal you, but... call this tough love, Cid. Remember what I said, okay?" _

_He nodded in a grumble before the pink-clad girl could smile happily and walk off with a nod. _

"_... freaking psycho flower girl."_

Oh yeah, he learned his lesson that time. It was at that moment that he got up from his stool, throwing the half-eaten yakitori into the trash after promptly losing all appetite. With quick strides and stomps onto the steps, he opened the entry way to the moogles shop to see a sight that surprised even himself.

The little girl, red with anger, was strapped to a chair, struggling with all her might against her holds and muffling out words through the tape that covered her mouth. Obviously the moogles had won the fight, after much conflict that is. Objects were strewn about, a printing machine was practically in shambles all over and stacks of paper had been torn to bits, some were still floating down to the floor. But what was most amusing was the fact that two of the moogles, with stitched stars for eyes instead of the usual 'x' and black pom-pom's in replacement of the purple-ish pink ones, were currently drawing on her face with permanent markers.

She muffled out some more, staring at Cid with pleading eyes as a mustache was drawn below her nose. Cid could only chuckle and cross his arms before his chest.

"Whatever it is that you did, I'm sure this will be enough of a punishment. I'll be back in five minutes, have fun, brat. Don't do too much damage, moogs."

"MRMMPH!!"

"_Just so you, know, the mustache look does not suit you."_

He turned on his boot and went back down the stairs as the moogles squeaked out what he assumed to be laughter. Maybe it was much leaving her at the hands of the moogles for a full five minutes, but as he said before, he was sure that whatever she had done to incite her to attack the moogles was bad. Now, that doesn't mean that he completely thought her at fault. Obviously the moogles had something to do with it as well, maybe full blame even. He smirked when a grumble escaped his mouth, making his way down to the last step.

"Tch, I'll deal with the fuzz balls later. Heh heh."

* * *

A/N: I really did leave her at the hands of the moogles for five minutes. Don't worry, they'll get their just desserts soon. -grin- This chapter was pretty slow, but I wanted to give some more background before I get into the action and interesting parts which will come next chapter, I promise.

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of S-E's stuff... one day, one day -shakes fist-


	3. Two Flames

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Two**

"Flames"

ホノオ

Yellow-clad and whistling, she made her way down the alley into the next district, a bag of snacks in her arms as she pushed her way past the double doors. She gave a grunt as she forced the tall barrier open and swiftly took her body through the opening without crinkling the bag even more. Yuffie had been busy roaming the shops till she finally found what she was looking for: junk food and lots of it. She had to literally stop herself from spending every last munny she had on her as the colorful candy surrounded her in the shop. True, she still got a bagful and that was plenty, but she could have gotten more in her mind.

Making her way to the end of the dark alley, she glanced over the brightly lit hotel before walking over to the waterway that was right in front of it with only a piece of sidewalk in between them. Without a beat, she jumped straight down into the gutter-like entry, securing her bag of goodies on her way down till her feet touched watery ground. Unbending her knees from the fall and straightening back up, the ninja gazed around for the two beings she was looking for.

_She better not be hogging up my practice time._

She thought warily, thinking of the many ways she could inflict some fun injuries to her rival. True, they argued and fought every single day, practically tearing each other to bits if it weren't for Squall, who they secretly dubbed "babysitter". But she thought greatly of her rival, she was like a sister really. They spent everyday together for the past two years, only separating when they were working or merely couldn't stand the sight of each other thanks to an argument of sorts.

Many things had happened in those two years. They had both gotten stronger in strength together with the help of their babysitter, inches close to making Cid have a heart attack thanks to their antics, finding out the truth behind the moogle's "shop" (which they were threatened to never tell by said moogles and trust me, you do not take their threats lightly) and the chaos that was erupting the universe over.

Heartless had been known for some time but now they were ranking up in numbers, even appearing in town ever once in a while. You couldn't go anywhere without making sure you had some kind of weapon on you now. It was all weird and actually scary, nothing like those heroic stories they had heard when they were younger. It was all real now and they were expected to protect themselves against the danger, even tag along on rescue missions on some of the other worlds.

Yuffie shook her head from her thoughts, slipping her hand into the bag she dragged out a rainbow-colored sucker from it, unraveling it from it's plastic wrap before she popped it into her mouth. Her feet took over, stepping forward to where they usually had their practices. Humming along a triumphant tune she had heard from Raynie and sure enough she had heard herself before, the ninja made her way into a rocky tunnel that led into another open area. But some chatter made her slowly stop her pace, silently terminating her footfalls and instead resuming them into softer ones. It was Raynie's voice and Squall's and that only made her do one thing.

Listen in.

For her to see what was going on, she would have to make herself known thanks to the rocky structure around her, so she decided that hearing it was better than nothing really.

"A little to the left, Raynie."

"Just... shut... up."

"You're going to have to keep up with me, I can't do all the work."

"Be quiet! Okay, so... like this?"

"Yeah, just like Aerith did i—be careful, not too fast."

"Oh come on. Now look who can't keep up, slow poke. Besides, it'll be much more fun like this!"

"You're just starting with this, Raynie. Don't take it lightly, this is really powerful and one wrong move can cause some disastrous results."

At this point Yuffie's jaw had dropped past her knees, images unheard of were making their way into her head. The ninja quickly gave a yell before they could fully form in her mind as she ran into view toward the pair.

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW. THERE ARE PRIVATE PLACES FOR THAT KIND... of... thing..."

In front of her was Raynie holding a glowing orb in her gloved hands, a red glow swirling from it, resembling fire. Squall was right in front of her and beside him was a dark chest full of more orbs, all brightly colored, a liquid-like substance moving around inside their spherical glass cases. Raynie could only shoot multiple glares at the ninja. The swirls that came from the orb eventually faded away, disappearing into the air. Squall on the other hand had one of his stoic expressions on his face, his arms crossed in their usual manner as Raynie spoke out first. Not that he was going to anyway.

"Uhh, what?"

"Err, I mean... this... um. You know, um... LOOK. A MOOGLE!"

"AHH!!"

The purple-haired girl gave a jump, followed by a yell as she gripped the orb in her hands tightly, looking around frantically for any sign of the enigmatic thing.

"WHERE?!"

Yuffie shrugged and gave a short whistle before she skipped over toward Squall, literally pushing the bag of goodies into his face. The other girl stopped in mid fright, shooting more death glares at her counterpart after seeing no moogle in sight.

"_Oh, she got you good."_

"I hate candy."

He couldn't rightly look at Yuffie's face as his vision was obscured by a paper bag, labeled with a cartoony-looking logo. This really didn't make his day any better but it really couldn't get any worse honestly. The ninja girl had lowered the bag away from his face, disappointment marking her as she rocked to and fro on her heels, holding the bag close to her, her lip quivering. Squall had to fight the urge to roll his eyes and seriously push her into the water. But before he could do that he found himself reaching into the bag, pulling out a bright wrapped marshmellow-like snack in the shape of a gummi ship. And in between gritted teeth, he mumbled out a 'thank you', stuffing the snack into his pocket immediately because he would rather be smothered by heartless than be caught dead with a sweet.

"Awww'right! See? Not that bad, huh?"

"You could see a vein about to pop in his forehead, Yuffie."

"Nu-u--Actually that was pretty creepy."

"No kidding. Squallie, do it again."

"Quiet and for the hundredth time, it's Leon... not... Squall and especially not Squallie."

Both girls looked at each other as if on cue, perfect at that. They raised their hand to their forehead in a salute, a roll of eyes finally coming from Squall at this just as they both yelled rather loudly.

"Yes, sir!"

Yuffie finished her mock salute before Raynie did, now looking directly into the mass of spheres, clumped up in a tier-like shape in the steel chest. They looked familiar, but it was one of those things that no matter how badly you have it at the tip of your tongue, they never let themselves be revealed.

But, they were oh-so... shiny.

"Soooo..."

The ninja moved over to the chest ever so swiftly, now crouched by it as she picked a green-colored sphere in her hands. Her fingers moved along its glass case, admiring the way the colors inside it moved like water.

But before she could truly admire it, like placing it into her pocket for example...

_Yoink!_

It got nabbed right out of her hands without warning.

The purple-haired girl had the orb as far away from the ninja as she could get it, shoving the chest away with her foot at the same time.

"Don't even think about it!"

"Wh-what? I was just lookin' at it!"

"YOU WERE GONNA STEAL IT."

"Was not! … Yet. I mean, it'd be pretty stupid to do it right in front of YOU."

"It's called materia."

A calm voice butted in and though it was completely emotionless it still stirred a jump from both girls, suddenly hearing the man talk. The black-haired girl rose a thin brow, her lips pouting slightly as she stood back up, glancing back at the spheres of color. The other girl had placed the one in her hand back into the chest, closing it up with a bang that echoed throughout the cave-like structure they were in.

"Materia? What kind of lame name is that? All they did was take away the 'l' from material. Pfft."

"It means matter in latin, Yuffie. But the name doesn't matter, it's what it can do that does. From Aerith's explanation they are crystallized spiritual energy. They allow you to use various magic spell and special abilities in combat."

"Whoaaa, sweet! Can I try? Can I, can I, can I?"

Yuffie was bobbing from foot to foot, clasping her hands in front of her as she looked on at Squall with excited eyes.

"If it works."

A pause.

"... Huh?"

Raynie sighed.

"Exactly what he said, ninja. As of now, only I've been able to use it... and Aerith too."

"S-so, not even Squallie could use it?"

"Nope."

"Well, doesn't mean I can't! Afterall, I'm the world famous ninja, Kisaragi Yuffie!

The man went ahead and bended down toward the chest, slipping it back open with his gloved hand, pulling a green-colored sphere right out from the case just as Raynie gave a rather loud scoff. Suddenly Yuffie found herself catching said sphere into her own hands with a tight grip, stumbling back a bit at being caught by surprise. But she quickly fixed her pose, giving a distracted cough, the orb moving from her left hand to her right, her fingers clasping around it.

"Alright, now what you need to do is focus all of your energy into that orb. This materia is for magic, so choose any type of magic you'd like. I'd choose water for starters..."

"..."

Raynie said nothing, clearing her throat a bit as she tapped her right foot along the ground. A while earlier she had been an ant's size close to burning Squall's arm off. And while it was amusing, it wouldn't have been all that great to have a one-armed babysitter forever hating you for all of eternity.

"Yea, yeaa... hmmm..."

The ninja closed her eyes, holding out the materia before her in the direction of a rock wall. She breathed in and out, gripping the orb in her hand tightly. Soon enough, her calm facade turned ugly as her face contorted and her brow twitched as she let out a yell.

"Water!"

But nothing happened.

Unless you call the little spurt of water the sphere let out 'something' then, something did actually happen.

"Ugh! What is this?!"

"Hm. The same effect it had on me."

"Whaaaat?! So I can't use it either? How friggin' lame!"

Squall said nothing, only turned his attention toward the other girl there who was looking into another materia in her hands. They were pretty small for holding so much power in them, roughly around the size of a tennis ball, only slightly bigger. The gunblader rose a brow as he saw the one in her hands, it had to be at least twice as large as the other ones in size. It's color was a pure white, like a diamond.

"Any idea, Raynie?"

She didn't seem to hear at first as her eyes stayed locked into the white materia, it's white color giving twinkles ever so slowly.

"...Hm?"

The girl stayed silent again, only glancing at Squall and then at Yuffie for less than a second. The ninja held her arms crossed before her as she tapped her foot impatiently, apparently not liking the fact that she could use it but not her.

_Aerith too! She doesn't even fight anyway! Uggh... totally not fair._

While Yuffie brooded on her own, Raynie kept her eyes set on the materia in her hands, her fingerless gloves squeaking slightly along its smooth surface. Squall spoke again, this time his own voice sounding far away, as if he was in thought as well.

"Why can you and Aerith use it, but not us?"

"_I... I'm not sure..." _

"_Not the slightest idea, huh?" _

"_No. Not even Aerith would tell me. I know she's keeping something--"_

"_For a good reason, I'm sure." _

* * *

_She had just finished her job hours that day, hanging up her work apron by the door before she ascended the staircases that led back to Cid's shop. Once she got to the top, she found him no where in sight like usual. He always seemed to disappear at the time of day when he had to pay her her check for the amount of work she had done that day. Too tired to even get angry about it and not liking the fact that all that separated her from the moogles was another set of stairs, the girl bolted out of the shop. _

_Just as she made it out of the shop, she bumped into something soft and pink, very pink. _

"_Oomph. Ah, sor—er... Aerith." _

"_Oh! I'm sorry, hehe._

"_Ah, nah, it's alright I guess."_

"_I shouldn't have been standing right smack in front of the door in the first place though. I was lost in thought really." _

"_Oh." _

_It was awkward silence after that. The younger girl started tapping the tip of her boot to the ground silently as she looked around in mock-distraction while the older girl ringed her hands along the mid of her skirt slowly. But unlike the other, she looked somewhat nervous and the weird thing was that she was always like that around Raynie, refusing to look into her eyes for a whole minute. It was just... weird. It was also why they hardly talked to each other, why when they crossed paths they even more awkwardly said 'hi' and went along their way. True, they were complete opposites and not just because of their attire. While one wore pink and red, the other wore black and blue. While one always smiled and apologized, the other frowned and never apologized. _

_But, still... something about the two of them was... connected. _

_The younger girl spoke first, clearing her throat as the other looked up in a snap, caught by surprise at the noise. _

"_If you don't mind, I need to get going. Um... if you're looking for gramps, he's not around." _

"_Oh." _

_Raynie gave a small shrug and turned around to the left, walking off as she digged her hands into her pockets and went on her way. But before she could round the corner of the shop, disappearing from Aerith's sight, something stopped her. A hand on her shoulder, making her spin on her heel in a second as she was caught again in a sight of pink. _

"_I... wasn't looking for Cid actually. I was looking for you." _

"_Me? Wait, if this is about spiking the barley tea, then that was totally Yuffie!" _

"_No, no, no, it isn't about tha—wait, the tea was spiked?" _

_Aerith looked off in the distance, as if remembering something. Raynie on the other hand looked nervous, crossing her arms quickly, making a run to change the subject... fast._

"_... SO. What is it then?" _

"_Right, um. I need to... give you something!" _

"_Give me something? What for?" _

"_Weeell, your birthday is in two days."_

"_Keyword: Two days."_

"_I thought I might as well get a head start! Be the first one to give you your present." _

"_Ehhh, you don't have to. I hate birthdays anyway..."_

_Her last birthday involved Yuffie forcing Squall and Cid into moogle costumes, appearing before her just as she woke up that day. It forever scared her for life. _

"_Nothing good comes of them. Besides, it's just a birthday, a number." _

"_You shouldn't say that, birthday's are special--"_

"_They aren't. Just an excuse to get presents and a stupid cake. The only birthday I remember was one that should go into the history books of awful." _

"_Hm. Yes, well... just do me a favor then and I promise I'll tell everyone not to give you a cake or presents. Deal?" _

"_...Deal." _

"_Good! Alright, come with me then!" _

_With that the pink-clad girl was off in a blur of damask. Who knew she could run so fast?_

_Once Raynie caught up with her, she found herself in front of the door that led to Merlin's little hut. To get inside however, was another thing. To her surprise, Aerith was able to open the door, after telling Raynie to turn around and not look. She knew the secret, but she could never find a way to get fire up to the door and she found herself wondering deeply just how the flower girl did it. _

_Either way, they got in and once they were in, they swiftly stepped onto the floating rocks, leading up the Merlin's place. Raynie always wanted to know why if Merlin was a wizard he couldn't make his place seem more... cozy. _

_Aerith had now stepped into Merlin's home, figuring that the owner himself wasn't home as Raynie didn't hear his usual jolly voice come about. But wasn't this breaking and entering? Somehow the image of a thief Aerith wasn't a possible one but not completely impossible. _

"_Come on!"_

"_I'm coming, I'm coming." _

_Raynie went into one of the side entrances, her eyes softly glowing as they changed to the subtle darkness of the lone space. None of Merlin's furniture was around so she concluded that he must be gone for quite a while if he took all his valuables with him. She had only been here about two times, both of which when she was ordered by Cid to help him clean up his place and the lake that surrounded his home. The fact that he was a wizard, meaning he could use magic to clean up, and why he didn't clean up after himself escaped her. But, when Cid threatened you you did as was told or face the bloody murder of doing chores for the moogles instead. Not happening._

_When she looked over at where Aerith was standing, she saw something a little out of place. Furniture. But not exactly. It was more of a box, a chest actually. The flower girl stood by with her hands to her back, rocking back and forth on her heels as a small smile adorned her face. She could be snarling and foaming at the mouth and Raynie swore she could still look pleasant. _

_Okay, maybe not the foaming at the mouth... that would be creepy and... really worrisome. _

"_Ta-daaa!" _

"_Ta-da?" _

"_Yeah! Open it up!" _

_Aerith now had her hands in front of her, clasping them together as she motioned her head toward the chest, stepping away from it to allow Raynie to get closer. The box itself was out of place, it almost looked futuristic, really odd and somewhat threatening. She expected colorful stuff from her, not a steel-covered chest that looked as if it would come to life at any moment. Still, she did as was told and stepped closer to the case, her footfalls slightly echoing in the silence of the area, only the ripples of water splashing mixed in. As she got closer, her heart started thumping faster for some reason. _

_A frown made its way to her forehead and a sense of anxiety filled her, the chest seemed to be radiating a strange energy, one she could swear she'd felt before. _

_Ka-thump. _

_Ka-thump._

_Ka-thump._

_Ka-thump. Ka-thump. Ka-thump. Ka-thump. _

_Without a beat, she crouched down in front of the heavy-looking object, moving fast as her fingers latched the top open, letting it fall with a thunk. A soft glow emitted from inside the box, but the things that were glowing was what surprised her and then filled her with disappointment. They were spheres. Glowing in different colors and beautiful she had to admit, but they were still just spheres. _

"_Well?" _

"_Uhh... they're umm... pretty."_

"_Uh-huh. Do you um... have you ever used them? That you remember." _

"_Used them?" _

_Raynie rose a brow at the girl, looking at her for a moment before picking one of them up, a red one. _

"_I've never--"_

_A surge of cold entered into her palm, seeping right through the fabric of her gloves as soon as she picked the thing up. It was odd and frightening, her heart literally beating in her ears and there were voices... so many of them, sweeping into her head all at once, some louder than others. _

_You're my legacy now, Cloud..._

_...This won't hurt one bit..._

_First one to the finish line kisses a chocobo!..._

_They'll know of everything you've done, you monster!! _

_She's stable... for now. _

_Dreams... honor..._

_Come on, you like her, don'cha? _

_I hate you, I hate you! I wish you'd just rot and die like them!! _

_...This has got to be the best day of my life._

_Genesis was merely a failed attempt..._

_What's he doing? _

_I'm you now, right? _

_...Have fun with that, loser._

_Your heart._

_My heart._

_This..._

_end _

_It wasn't supposed to be like this!! _

_I wish... I wish I could just start over, forget everything... _

_Grant me that one wish... _

_Please._

_The orb dropped from her hands, straightening up immediately before she stepped away from the glowing object. She stared at it for a moment longer before shooting a questioning glance at Aerith, soon she couldn't stop it from becoming a glare. _

"_What is this?" _

"_What did you hear?" _

"_What is this?"_

"_Did you hear voices? Did you recognize the--?"_

"_Answer my damn question, Aerith!" _

_Silence._

"_... They're called materia." _

_Her glare softened, but she still held questions in her eyes, eyes that kept glowing with a fierce light. Aerith looked down for a second at the dropped materia, picking it up into her hands as she stood back up, she looked into it much like Raynie had done, almost hypnotized. _

"_Crystallized spiritual energy. So far, only you and I can use them." _

"_Use them? I haven't even--" _

"_You heard the voices didn't you? They're of people who have lived and died in the past, their voices reside in these objects."_

"_Whoa, wait, wait, wait... "_

_Raynie raised both of her hands in front of her and started twirling her index fingers around each other, revolving like a wheel but backwards._

"_--rewind. What the heck is crystallized-spiritual-what's-it's-name?"_

"_They're fueled by something called the Lifestream. They allow the user to use magic with them, these materias serve as a conduit between the Lifestream and ones self." _

_The younger girl stayed quiet for a moment, lowering her hands down to her sides before she finally crossed them together in their usual fashion. Hanging around Squall too much could do that... _

"_They allow you to use magic... by using the... Lifestream? And what is that?" _

"_The lifeblood of... somewhere." _

"_Vague much?" _

_Aerith shook her head slowly, placing the materia in her hands back into the steel chest. Just as she placed the orb on top of the others, she closed the top shut, spinning the odd lock it had attached to it till it make an audible click. Standing up straight, the flower girl, held both of her hands in front of her, clasping them together in a position similar to a prayer but not exactly. For a moment, she looked down at the floor, biting her bottom lip nervously before she tilted her head back, looking straight into Raynie's eyes. Those eyes that held so much for her, a past she herself couldn't quite unblur. But maybe..._

"_I can't say anymore, Raynie. I don't even... know what to say really." _

"_Oh... great." _

_Raynie caught the sad expression on the older woman's face, it was the same one she did, either accidentally or on purpose, when she looked at her. Aerith opened her mouth, to speak, but closed it again, contemplating on what she was going to say, leading the younger girl to believe that she was choosing her words carefully... possibly not wanting to reveal too much yet. People seemed to do that around her as of late, she noticed, but said nothing of it. Right now, however, she was fed up with it and the expression she herself bore right now displayed it to light. She knew there was something going on and she was going to find out one way or another. _

"_You want the truth? Why I'm... giving you this?" _

_The younger girl had to force herself not to grit her teeth together._

"_Only two hours ago, Aerith."_

"_I apologize, really I do. You're in the dark, about your past... why you have those... eyes." _

_Raynie rose a brow ever so slightly, keeping a steady eye on the flower girl, not cutting their connection. _

"_I stopped asking because no one knew. I know I'm not from here, but I'm guessing you might know, right?" _

"_Not really."_

"_Hmph." _

_At this, Raynie turned on her heel, giving the chest one last glance as she made her way toward the exit of the small hut. _

"_I don't want to hear more excuses, either you tell me the truth or just leave me the hell alone." _

_...Just give her a chance, will ya?_

"_W-wait! I honestly don't know! But, you... you have to hear me out on this!" _

_She stopped right as she heard the small choked sob coming from the flower girl. Raynie rolled her eyes halfway, her back turned toward Aerith as a sigh escaped her lips. True, she wasn't close to the older woman, but she really couldn't stand seeing other people cry. It was such a useless action, it solved nothing. But, still, she stopped and turned halfway, peering at the woman as if urging her to continue, her left foot out the door while the other was still inside the house. Still, if it hadn't been for that voice in her head, she would have just kept going either way, crying girl or not._

_Aerith was practically shaking, swiftly rubbing her hands along her cheeks before she could look back the younger girl in front of her. With a struggled voice, she spoke, her eyes no longer able to look steadily into Raynie's eyes like before. _

"_I r-remember someone. Someone I... held so dearly in my heart."_

_Another sob escaped her and at that point Raynie cut all sight with her, keeping her vision at a wall in front of her. _

"_He—his eyes, they're the only thing I truly remember. It's so... clear in my head. They were just like yours, Raynie. Same color, same glow, everything. And no matter how hard I've been trying to--"_

"_Ignore me?"_

"_... Yes. I can't seem to do so completely. I don't know what it is. I remember him laughing, stuff like that but... he was nothing like you." _

"_That's a biiiig boost in my spirits." _

"_No, no, you don't understand. While, you two were very different... opposites like you and I. You remind me of him and it's not just your eyes, it's... something more. It's why I'm giving you these. I've had them ever since I could remember. He used them... I think. I had found them in Radiant Garden before the darkness took over and when I came here, I kept them here for safe keeping." _

_Silence surrounded them again, a minute, two minutes, who knows? _

"_Is that it?" _

"_Yes. I really do wish I could tell you more... I swear I do." _

"_Yeah, so do I. Um... thanks anyway, I guess."_

_Raynie sighed again, letting her arms drop to her sides and then suddenly her head snapped back up, a soft glow illuminating her brightly colored eyes. It wasn't because of the lack of light, but something had hit her. Hit her hard and Aerith caught this, clasping her hands together like she did. _

"_Raynie?"_

"_That voice..."_

"_What?" _

_The younger girl spun on her head, looking at the pink-glad woman straight in the eyes. _

"_You said Radiant Garden, right?" _

"_Yes... well, now it's Hollow Bastion. Hm, it's radiance has left it some time ago sadly." _

"_Hm, right. Those are for me right?" _

_She pointed at the chest and Aerith nodded. Before the flower girl could register in her mind what was going on, Raynie had lifted the chest into her arms, grunting as she made her way out. The younger girl stopped though, right as she reached the exit again. _

"_Umm... uh... for acting like I did and all and um..." _

_Aerith shook her head, a small smile gracing her face as she started to follow her out as well. Her watery eyes had dried, only sniffling once. Raynie didn't know whether that was a gift or not, how she could just change moods so quickly. Wait... didn't she do that too?_

"_No need to apologize, your anger is understandable."_

_Just as Raynie was going to step onto one of the floating rocks, Aerith beat her to it, stepping onto it lightly before she did. Just as she placed both feet onto the rocky surface, the older woman turned around and looked over at the girl who currently had a annoyed expression on her face._

"_But really now... you must loosen up every once in a while, Raynie." _

_She's got a point... _

"_Hrn." _

_

* * *

  
_

Their voices jumbled together as she regained focus, the events that had occurred yesterday disappearing from her mind as she looked up from the materia in her hands. The white one, Aerith had given it to her shortly after they left Merlin's place. She had said it was special, called Holy and it was only to be used in the direst of situations. Raynie shook her head and dug the white crystal into her pocket, not worrying about any dire situations for now.

Right now however a situation was happening.

"You smooshed it!

"Did not. It was like that already."

"Smooshed gummi ship, Squallie?! What kind of candy would that be?!"

Yuffie was currently waving said smooshed piece of candy, the one Squall had indeed forcibly stuffed into his own pocket out of annoyance. She held it up in front of his face like the evidence to a crime scene. Raynie just didn't want to know how exactly Yuffie had gotten her hold on that candy... it being in his pocket and all.

The purple-haired girl had a look of impatience and immediately started to haul the chest away, making her way toward the exit of the area. The echoes and water-y ripples getting on her last nerves, she didn't need a pitch-y high voice of a certain ninja mingling in as well. And that wasn't just it really, she just had better things to do right now. She knew how to use the materias, at least well enough to cast basic spells anyway. But it was enough for now, enough till she got to Hollow Bastion, her main destination right now. It seemed like neither one of the two had noticed her shuffling away with the huge object in hand, Yuffie still dangling the destroyed candy, blocking Squall's view completely.

It was a good thing though. She didn't want anyone tagging along anyway, not that she needed the help either.

Honestly, it was better working alone. It was how she liked it, allowing her to do things her way.

Besides, she didn't exactly have a thing called 'friends', except for Yuffie who was more of a sister. One you wanted and didn't want to have at the same time. That and they always ended up strangling each other, so that really wouldn't help, not now or ever and she had to get to the bottom of things.

Of everything she had so wanted to find out.

"_You're going at it alone?"_

"_Of course! I've got you don't I?" _

"_I guess, but wouldn't it better to have someone along psychically though?" _

"_Nuh-uh, I refuse. Partnerships, friendships, all friggin' useless." _

"_Hm." _

"_... What's that 'hm' for?" _

"_What 'hm'?" _

"_That one... the one you did!" _

"_I didn't!" _

"_You did too!!" _

"_Maybe it was another voice, I mean... who's to say you don't have someone else in here, huh, huh?"_

"_Arrgh! Annoying... I'm gonna find out about you, just you watch!" _

"_Oh? That sounds exciting. But uh... you might not like what you find out though..."_

"_Since you're refusing, I have to find out for myself. Bad or not, I don't care!" _

"_You say that now..." _

She cut their conversation off, lifting the chest away from the waterway as she made her way up into the clearing by the hotel. As fast as she could, she pulled the chest by her, leaving trails of water behind on the cobblestone, pushing open the door that led to the next district. She gave out a small huff, not all that delighted that she had to haul the thing off into the first district which was still a way to go. Raynie had strength, she could pick up practically anything! Well, maybe not anything, but plenty of things. Since as long as she could remember she always had some unusual strength about her, only increasing with her trainings with Squall and Yuffie.

"_They were just like yours, Raynie." _

"Hmph, bet'cha I was stronger than him."

She smirked, starting to push the chest up the stairs toward another double door entry. Something plagued her mind though as she let the chest skid off with a hard push, followed by a kick to its side, guiding it toward the doors. It was something minor, sure, for someone else actually.

But in her shoes...

How exactly was she going to convince gramps in letting her use a ship? She had never piloted one before and the last and first time she had tried to, well, you know that story. So, how exactly, what exactly was going to be her plan? Her forehead frowned, her hand latching onto the handle of the door, pulling it open. Around her there was silence, guessing it was night time now, really night time. Not only did the silence reassure that thought, but the cold air that swept around, swirling dust from the ground up in swirls.

It was chilly and it was always chilly at night here in Traverse Town. It just was one of things that let you know it was time to go to sleep, that and clocks, but she never bothered with watches.

With another kick from her boot, she slid the steel box past the entrance, another loud noise erupted, a gritting from steel meeting stone met her ears and surely it bounced off the walls, causing irritating echoes throughout the district she entered.

"Ugh, jeez... could Aerith have used a heavier box? Honestly!"

She kicked again at the object, this time however...

"OW!"

The pain from it met her feet like a flash of lighting, causing her to stumble forward, tripping over the chest itself and having her face meet the ground with a thump. It was not an exciting way to start her adventure, however that may happen seeing as she still had no plan on getting that spacecraft. This accident didn't help matters either because whatever plan she may have had working in her head, was surely gone with the hit she took to her forehead. The pain throbbed past her skin and skull making her grimace, a small puff of air escaping her mouth, causing a stray bang of hair to float up momentarily before falling back onto her nose.

She stayed like this for a good minute, her eyes closing shut, the corners of her lips tipping downward in a frown.

Maybe she did need someone. Maybe.

Before the ridiculous thought could full conquer her previous set plan, she felt something.

Hot.

It was against her cheek.

It was that something that made her sit up really, not herself and it took her so long to notice too. The hit must have really been hard after all for her not to feel the sharp heat against her cheek, the one that was pressed up against the stone ground.

She sat up so fast that she felt the blood literally rush downward, causing her to dizzy for a milisecond just as she rose her hand to her now warm cheek. Her fingers, uncovered by her gloves, felt something liquid-like and when she let her eyes catch the sight of her fingers, she saw blood. Raynie could only frown more at the thought of having a cut along her cheek now, probably causing a scar to form there. Just what she needed right now too.

"Sheesh, what a way to start an adventure... GAWD!"

Raynie quickly got on her feet, jumping up from the ground, her fingers smearing against her thumb, the crimson liquid, looking black thanks to the dim lights around her, ran down her fingers, touching her glove. She shuddered and immediately swiped them against her shorts, glad that she did indeed wore dark colors because the color of the obtrusive liquid didn't even show on her clothes at all.

"Hah, colorful my butt.", She mumbled out just as she was to raise her hand to her cheek again to clean up as much of the cut as she could.

Again, something stopped her.

Not the pain from the supposed cut or how her brain kept throbbing against her skull, shattering it at any moment. No, nothing like that, it wasn't even a feeling.

Blood.

Yeah, there was blood where her cheek at been before, but there was a trail of it that led around the corner in the direction of the fountain.

It was splattered in a mess, not just a drip-drop trail either.

It seemed to be everywhere.

Smeared and splashed.

Her heart thudded hard, hitting her ribcage with a force that made her take a step back. She found herself subconsciously swallowing a lump that had formed in her throat, letting her hand lower down to her side, her eyes following the messy trail of crimson regret.

_He was there, just laying there. The lights blared on his lifeless body, pin point the exact spots where the bullet wounds where on his chest, blood still seeping from them. _

_That awful light. _

_So artificial. _

_His eyes just stared at them, dull._

_No life at all. _

_And then he sat up, looking straight at her with a mocking smile. _

_His hands, covered in the red, dripping with it. _

_They rose, beckoning her forward, his smile only growing by the second. _

"_Come here." _

_It wasn't him. _

_Couldn't be. _

_His smile twisted at the sides slowly. _

_The jagged lines grew and opened like cuts. _

_The more he smiled, the more he bled. _

"_Come on, I'll show you just how much fun..." _

_He stood now._

_It was all a blur underneath the florescent lights. _

_There was steel everywhere. _

_Enclosing her. _

_Trapping her there as she backed up into a corner. _

_She screamed and shook her head. _

_He kept coming closer, slowly dragging his feet across the linoleum floor. _

_He left a trail of blood. _

_Messy and splattered. _

_His fingers beckoned her again._

_Letting loose more drips of blood. _

"_How much fuuuun..." _

_His voice slowed, distorted and breaking. _

_She yelled for help, hearing another voice echo back with the same command. _

_They were all mocking her! _

"_How much fuuun...fun, fun, fuuuun... "_

_His smile broke, his jaw unhinging like an artificial one._

_Tthe cuts across his cheeks opened further._

_Strings of skin held his jaw from falling. _

_Remotely impossible to talk._

_But she could still hear his voice loud a clear. _

_More distorted, scratchy and gargling. _

"_S-stop it! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" _

_He stopped his movements._

_Everything fast-forwarded, suddenly he was in front of her now. _

_His blood seeped onto her. _

_Maddening eyes staring straight into her own frightened ones._

_His hands clasped around her neck tightly. _

_She struggled. Kicking and choking. _

_Her vision blurred, she closed her eyes._

_And he yelled, angrily even. _

_When she looked at him again, her vision clear, he wasn't bleeding anymore. _

_No blood anywhere._

_He was normal again. _

"_I just wanna show you... HOW MUCH FUN BEING DEAD IS!!" _

"Hey. Hey! Wake up!"

She blinked slowly, her back pressed up against a corner, two hands clasped on her shoulders, shaking her slowly.

"Err... you okay?"

Raynie closed her eyes again, clenching them tightly as the last remaining images of that awful scene escaped her mind. When she opened her eyes again she was met with a striking green color and a burst of red.

Though her head was feeling hazy, the only word that came to mind was...

"Christmas...?"

"Uh... noooo. Tch, far from it."

She shook her head, feeling stupid for even letting that word escape her mouth. With a second, she pushed at the figure in front of her away, walking a little to the side, placing one hand on the wall to steady herself. What had happened?

"You're one of those chicks, huh?"

So it was a he then. And he was starting to irritate her fast.

She felt his hand again on her shoulder, only for her to swat it away with her free hand and in a whirl she turned toward him, prepared to give him the yell of his lifetime. The dizziness caught her again though, and she found herself in his arms before she could once again hit the ground with a thud.

"Uggh... what did you do to me...?"

"To you? Me? Typical, a guy helps you and you immediately think he was your attacker."

Raynie grimaced, pressing her right hand to her face in an attempt to focus herself, wanting to drone out his voice as much as she could.

What exactly happened then?

When her hand slipped away from her eyes, now resting across her nose and mouth, she caught a better sight of the man. Boy really, he seemed to be around her age, probably older. The red she had seen earlier was from the top of his head, bursting out in wild spikes. The green however was from his eyes... which were staring straight at her. Exactly catching her looking at him, in a way he, in his "guy mind", twisted around to his liking no doubt.

"Oh, I see now. Now you like me, eh?"

A smirk made its way to his lips, flashing perfectly white teeth. She glared, she glared hard at him, abruptly catching two marks underneath his eyes, like tattoos because they seemed too perfect to be scars. He only kept smirking and now laughter escaped him, this only making her raising her hands and start punching at his chest, pulling away from him in a thrash.

"Ugh! Pervert!"

His laughter died out slowly as Raynie stood on her feet, wobbling ever so slightly but managing to stand instead of fall like her previous attempt.

"Me? I'm the pervert? Seriously now... you were the one checking me out in first place."

She could only let out a growl, clenching her fists tightly by her sides. The older teen stood up straight, chuckling, running his hand through his hair once. He didn't even manage to place one spike out of its place either.

"I don't blame ya. Who could resist me any--? Huh?"

Raynie now stood behind him, looking out hurriedly in the small area they were in, hidden away from the bigger and main area in the district. She walked fast from side to side, looking up and down, side to side. She was looking for something, something important it seemed.

"Uhh... what exactly are you doing? Hm, maybe you did hit your head harder than I thought. Ah! You're delusional! That explains the growling--"

"The chest, you buffoon!"

She made her way toward him, literally stomping her boots against the ground, stopping inches from his face as she poked her finger harshly at his forehead.

"Where is it?!"

He rose a brow, colored the same as his wild crimson hair.

"Where is what?"

"The chest! The chest! Where is it?!"

Without a pause, his hand lifted and pointed at her.

At her own chest.

Raynie looked down at his hand and then looked back up at his face which held a smug look across it. The girl herself held a stoic look which was very unusual, her lips forming a thin line.

"... You think that's funny, don't you?"

"You totally asked for it."

Smack!

Her hand flew past with a blur, hitting him hard across his cheek.

"Hm... I guess I asked for that."

Raynie rose a brow in confusion. It didn't seem like it hurt him.

"No pain?"

"Eh, a little..."

He rose his hand to his cheek, rubbing his jaw with his fingers, moving his lower jaw left to right.

"Not bad for a girl, I gue—OOMPH!"

His body crashed right into the opposite wall just as a fist collided with his chest, sending him flying. Okay, so maybe he was a little impressed. A thudding pain stabbed him, grimacing but you could still see a faint grin adorning his features. He looked over at his attacker who was now standing ever so smugly in front of him.

"Hurt much, pervert?"

"Ahh, not bad... aggh..."

She grinned widely.

"You asked for it, remember? Tch, guess you don't memorize things too much, do ya?"

"Yeah, yea—naah, I don't really remember that part. Hmm, and the name isn't pervert."

Her grin turned into a frown as she rolled her blue eyes, a heavy sigh escaping her lips, turning her back toward him. He was standing back up slowly, grunting a bit but not loudly, at least not loud enough for her to hear he hoped.

"Just cry already."

Raynie mumbled out, walking off as she kept darting her eyes around, searching for the heavy chest. It couldn't have gotten that far she figured and obviously it hadn't been him anyway. He couldn't possibly even lift the thing up an inch.

"Ha-ha-ha. So funny..."

His voice was near her and when she turned back around there he was again. Was he actually following her?

"Gawd, look, if you're lost, lost your world to heartless, whatever, go elsewhere cause I ain't helping!"

He mumbled.

"I wouldn't want your help anyway. All you've done is psychically abuse me!"

"Cause you made an advance on me!"

"In your mind, little girl."

"I'm not little!"

"Yeah. You are."

The man grinned again while her face turned red with anger. Anger because she had to admit, he was much taller than her. Her head only reached to his chest, but she was sure he couldn't be more than two years older than her for sure. He must be around Squall's age, she figured.

"Now..."

Before he could continue speaking she was off again, heading out toward the main area of the district, wanting to find said chest fast. Raynie was somewhat glad the thing was made of steel as it could very easily be identified, the lights surely hitting it with a glimmer. If only she could find that glimmer though.

"Running off again?"

"From you!"

"I uh, wouldn't go that way... for your information."

"Shut it!"

"All kidding aside, I'm being ser--"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR INFORMATION."

"Look, kid..."

" IT SUCKS ANYWAY!"

A loud growl emitted from the big open space as he stayed in his spot, away from the noise. The girl was being a brat anyway, so he might as well just be on his way. The man turned on his spot, looking down at the injury on his side. The punch she had inflicted didn't do much help to the open wound he currently wore, a good size cut he received from said monster nearby. When he had his hand on the handle, cold with the night breeze, he gave a sigh, pressing his right hand to his wound, adding some pressure to it. He needed help and fast, not only for his injuries but also for a way back home somehow.

"_Gawd, look, if you're lost or lost your world to heartless, whatever, go elsewhere cause I ain't helping!"_

"Heartless."

Is that what it was? Those things that attacked and that no matter how much they fought against them, they just kept coming, more and more every time. His memories of what had happened were fuzzy, a broken record he tried to play but couldn't quite find the right button to do so. Something happened. Something bad and that's how he ended up here in this oddly lit town... with very angry girls so far. But besides her, he hadn't found much of anyone in sight except for a bubbly-shaped creature with a weird pom-pom looking thing on its head. But all it did was squeak at it and he could swear it had been laughing.

There had been no more noises, no more growls coming from the other area.

Images of a girl, beaten to the ground came to his mind.

"Maybe I could help her... just a bit."

Friggin' stupid conscience.

He found himself walking back in the direction of the girl, crossing his arms before his chest.

When he walked into the clearing, the trickles of water from the fountain came to his ears, and the clear image of a grotesque creature came to his sights. In front of the enemy was the girl, stomping her foot to the ground as she yelled some obscenities at the thing.

"Give me the friggin' chest back!! It's not yours!"

The 'thing' had the said chest in its clutches, claws dripping some sort of liquid that when it touched the ground, went right through it like acid. For some reason, however, it did nothing to the chest as it tried to open the thing with it's gargantuan hands.

It's entire body was black, like a shadow.

Like those things from before... what was it... heartless?

The only empty space where you could see color was its eyes which were blaring yellow and the huge hole in its chest in the shadow of an elongated heart. Several tendrils poked out from its head, swirling around with a life of their own.

"GIVE IT BACK OR I'LL... I'll... DO SOMETHING TO YA!"

"Do what exactly?"

He walked over to the girl, standing by her right side as he looked up at the creature, who apparently had no interest in eating either one of them. It was only interested in whatever was inside that chest.

"Kick it, punch it, I dunno!"

Raynie throw her hands in the air, sending glares at both the thing in front of them and at him. She gave a pout soon after, her fists clenching again by her sides as she took on a pose that shouted "kick some ass".

"What exactly is in that box, huh?"

She growled out, glancing at him quickly.

"Like I'm tellin' you. For all I know you could be after the dang thing too."

"Well, it seems to know what it is and sooner or later... it's gonna get it. I was gonna help ya, buuut---"

"Why? Tch, you don't even know me."

The man grinned a bit, uncrossing his arms as his wrists suddenly flicked on his sides, erupting in a blast of fire that surrounded five daggers floating around each hand in a rapid circle. You could hardly see the daggers themselves if you hadn't seen him summoning them at first. They glowed brightly, each flare of flame sparkling out and disappearing in the air. The girl could only stare in amazing, her mouth forming an 'o' shape.

"Uh..."

"Do you want my help or not? Obviously you were going somewhere, weren't you?"

The girl stayed in a trance for a moment longer, eventually shaking her head as she threw a questioning glare at him.

"How'd you know?"

"You were mumbling in your sleep back there."

"I was no—Well, why would you help me anyway? You still haven't answered that."

In the background the creature was still trying to pry open the chest, giving odd grunts as its claws picked at the lock. The man turned his attention at it again before he answered her, the flames illuminating his face, his grin wider and his eyes giving fierce green glow from them. Again those pearly whites showed through his lips, looking almost maniacal in a weird sense.

"I may want a little revenge of my own against this thing and well... just because."

Raynie's brows frowned together, her eyes rolling just as she looked back at the thing in front of them both.

"Whatever. Just don't get in my way, perv."

"Heh, the name isn't perv... It's Ael."

"Ael? You can't be serious..."

"Yours? Or would you like me to keep calling you brat?"

"Grrr..."

She spoke inbetween gritted teeth, feeling herself regret leaving the area where Squall and Yuffie had been, regretting taking off on this "adventure".

"It's... Raynie."

"Raynie? Oh, you can't be serious, what kind of girl is named after the weather?"

"What kind of guy's name sounds like an alcoholic beverage?!"

"A cool guy, of course."

"Oh, come on! Jeez... friggin lame."

Ael laughed, raising his aflamed weapons in front of him.

"You ready, brat?"

Raynie gave a look of surprise, her fists lowering slightly in front of her as she looked at him again.

"You said you weren't gonna call me tha--!"

"I never promised!"

With that he took off in a flash, his jacket blaring behind him as he gave another laugh, ready to swipe at the creature as he jumped off the ground.

The girl watched him for a moment, a sigh escaping her for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. She knew no one else would come to help because they couldn't. It was an odd rule set upon Traverse Town that when a battle was set in place in a district, the doors to said district would automatically shut closed, protected with a strange dark energy that you could visibly see in black and purple swirls. It made things extremely hard , especially when you were going on your own through the districts. So she had to admit, that having a little help was a good thing right now.

She took on her offense pose, watching him in the distance swiping and slashing at the creature who just refused to let go of the chest in its right hand. Her gloves squeaked in protest as her fingers clenched tighter against her palms.

Raynie could help but grin herself, feeling some weird type of relief inside of her.

"_Your story now, Raynie. Better make it a good one."_

"Pfft, as if you need to tell me that."

For a second, her grin turned into a small smile, the smallest of ones and before she took off running toward the creature, she mumbled out three words she always said before going into any type of fight. It helped her out and kept her going, like a race, knowing that if she finished it and won, a prize would be waiting somewhere.

"Ready, set, go."

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, long chapter. Haha, I hope that made things more exciting so now you know that from here on it'll be action action action... okay, some drama too I guess. Also, if you couldn't figure it out... Ael is Axel, before he became a nobody of course. But that'll be much, much later and I promise to make his story a good one too. I know his unofficial "somebody" name is usually spelled "Ale", but eh... Ael is pronounced the same and doesn't look too weird. Okay, maybe it does... a little bit. -headesks-

**Disclaimer:** KH or FFVII does not belong to meeee, all of it belongs to Square-Enix.


	4. Three Chances

_**.**_

_**.**_

_**.**_

**Three**

"Chances"

チャンス

_Slash! _

His daggers swiped fast, ripping open the creature's left arm with an upward lash of his wrist. The inferno from his circling weapons grew higher with each attack, adding more fuel to the fire as he moved around the shadow swiftly.

To Ael's far right, Raynie had been attempting to land punches at the thing. Still, no matter how hard she threw her hand back and forward toward it, touching it's gluttonous skin with her knuckles, she couldn't cause any injury. Her speed barely rivaled the man's, but she knew that her hits were hard enough to compensate for that. The example had been right there earlier with Ael's body.

"What. The. Crap!"

No damage at all. Her hands did nothing!

"_Don't give up."_

She yelled out with each hit, hand after hand, fists turning white with pressure. Anger rose in her, feeling weak as her hits caused no such progress.

The red haired man however had the opposite effect. His daggers slicing and dicing, burning into the strange skin of the creature, leaving behind red smolders.

The shadow let out growls, snapping its mouth open and close, its free hand trying to swat at the pesky man away. He was a bug to it, nothing more.

Raynie's moves eventually got slower, gasping for breath, her feet now delivering agile kicks that accelerated each time. Inwardly, she knew they wouldn't do any damage either and she also knew that eventually her feet would choke up as well.

"I almost got 'im!! Just stay back!"

His voice ringed out, letting loose another laugh as he spun in the air, his weapons digging deep into the shadow. Ael had noticed her determination, yet he figured she did more by staying back as her one-two punches and roundhouse kicks didn't seem to do a thing at the now weary enemy.

The girl let out a yell of aggression, ignoring his heed, her kicks coming in faster.

Just as Ael was to deliver another stagger blow to the thing, a mass of electricity surrounded the shadow.

"Huh...?"

He jumped back, sprinting off from the thing's arm before the shock could even touch him. Managing to land by the girl who had moved back just in time, just far enough, he looked up at the towering mass of darkness.

A crackle boomed, swift lashes like whips sounded through, the lighting effect was the form of barbed wire, digging needles resembling thorns into the beast's body. It thrashed quickly, the chest in it's right hand jumbling in its tight grasp. He let out bizarre noises, ear-piercing as the wire moved about around him, sending more jolts throughout certain spots.

Within a couple of seconds, however, it paralyzed completely, the noises from its mouth still slipping through like hisses.

Raynie gave a loud enough scoff, one that jumped right over the whistled hisses of pain. She tapped her foot, turning her head toward Ael as another cold breeze swept past them.

"You could have just done that from the beginning."

He stayed silent for three blinks and then shook his head.

"I can't use lighting, only fire."

At this, he gave his wrists a flick by his sides. This abrupt motion caused the hedron flames to die out with wisps of graying smoke, his daggers colliding into two single ones before vanishing all together.

Raynie opened her mouth to retaliate or probably to shoot more insults. She ended up closing her mouth, glancing back at the wounded and still attacked shadow, before she actually let loose the words from her lips.

"Then... who?"

The pair deviated their eyes, green and blue, toward every inch they could spot in the district. Azure shades crept all over the buildings, despite the varying colors of lights around.

Ael didn't answer back, the leers that showed on his face before never making it to light, bearing his attention to the colossal being before them. The barbs twisted and out of nowhere the thing gave a sudden shudder, its fists clenching as the wires closed in.

Tighter.

Squeezing in the towering figure.

In a bang of strings strumming, the cacophony ringing and bouncing back and forth, their enemy abandoned its space, ceasing to exist before their eyes.

And it wasn't the only thing to have vanished either.

"The chest!! NO!"

"_That's not good..."_

The girl screamed, making a run to where the figure's gargantuan body was disappearing in swirls of fumes, ebony and violet mingling. A firm hand on her shoulder stopped her from going any further though, fingers gripping onto her so she wouldn't advance anymore.

"Hey! What are you--?!"

"Wait, something is wrong."

In the little time she had known him, she hadn't heard that tone coming from him. It was serious and though the sound wasn't familiar to her, it seemed hollow too.

She shook her head fast, attempting to wiggle her shoulder from his hold.

"Duh, of course there is! That chest is gone!"

Though she wasn't paying complete attention to where the vapor, the remains of the shadow, were rising, he was. He could see clearly how the bottom tips of the swirls descended down, forming a small puddle on the cobblestone. They rippled slowly and then rose back up in the shape of musical notes, varying in style.

"_Strange."_

They were opaque, almost near the point of being crystal clear like water. Unlike water, they differed in color: red, blue, green and others he could tell were just mixed in with its partner in complimentary scale.

Raynie still shook her shoulder, managing to shake his hand loose, taking two to three steps away. When she did, her head turned to face the odd scene of floating musical notes. Forehead frowning, she hesitantly took a step forward, making sure his hand didn't stop her again a second time. She mumbled, hardly moving her lips after she had licked them.

"I've never seen heartless... do that."

When the last of her sentence spilled out, the notes all whirled together in a spin, clashing into each other. Their colors turned dark and eventually they themselves dissolved into another set of fumes. These however were askew, irregular unlike the other ones which had been smooth and flowing.

A shadow of a figure could be seen behind the curtain of darkness that had appeared, moving around like lighting shapes minus the thundering booms.

But what came from this cover, was very much as loud as lighting striking and just as shocking due to its rapid cue.

"Oohhh!! You must be laying a deceiving jest on me!!!"

Surprisingly, Raynie found herself taking back those two or three steps she took away from Ael earlier, moving closer to him.

_Fwooom!_

The curtain splayed out in half, folding in an awkward motion as the figure came to view. A man stepped out from the protection of shadows, a striking purple hue on his hair which had been parted in partly eye-obscuring bangs followed by messy spikes in the back. A fuming expression, contorting his slightly pale face entirely, bore upon him. Within his amber colored eyes were sparks of a lighter golden dye, his iris shaped like vertical slits which seemed to grow smaller by the second.

But what was more surprising was his attire that consisted of a dress jacket and pants, ironed white shit underneath with a black tie. He would have looked like either a lawyer or hitman if it wasn't for the fact that he wore a set of headphones on his head, purple splayed on them as his right hand, covered in tight leather gloves, death gripped the music device it was connected to by wireless.

Raynie was the first to speak, feeling her jaw dropping a little at the humorous and somewhat frightening sight of the man who quite obviously was sending glares at the two of them.

"What or who the crap is that...?"

Ael on the other hand had only a brow raised, both arms crossing in front of his chest, ruffling his shirt in the process.

"Question is: Do we really want to know?"

"_I agree with him, do you seriously even want to know about that... psychotic scene?"_

"_Circus scene more like it."_

The man in question stopped his movement and now had his eyes closed, eyelids clenched together in stress. Apparently, it looked as if he was grumbling words to himself, his thin lips moving at an alarming rate but no sound coming from them. The red-haired man cleared his throat, nudging his elbow at Raynie's side, a whisper coming through his own teeth. The serious mask he had on had gone, a laid back one taking its place instead.

Really weird.

"I'd say we get out of here right about... now."

"I would. I _WOULD_. Not 'I'D'. Learn proper English please and thank you!"

The psychotic scene spoke out, his voice was deep and held a slight higher pitch when exclaiming. He had opened his eyes now, his hand leaving his face after rubbing it in exasperation. Ael lowered his elbow from Raynie's side, giving her no chance to respond as he sneered at the man.

"I seriously owe you my gratitude, grammer nazi."

The man, aka circus scene, lowered his headphones from his head, allowing them to rest onto his lean shoulders, standing as tall as Ael himself. His iris has gone back to normal size, but still somewhat smaller than regular sized ones. Raynie noticed, as he looked straight at Ael, that within his eyes were hypnotic-like swirls, rings really, surrounding said iris. It only gave him an even more psychotic look than the current one displayed on his face.

Even as his face looked ready to murder someone, his tone was even, calm and steady.

"You most certainly have my welcome, ignoramus."

A snort came from the girl which prompted the man beside her to give her a dirty look.

"Come on, you have to admit... that had to be the first time I've heard an insult sound so... fancy!"

Laughter came from her, wrapping her own arms around her mid, clutching her stomach.

"_Whoa, you're actually laughing..." _

"_Sh-shut it!"_

At realizing this she abruptly stopped, a loud cough erupting from her throat, looking from side to side before she pointed a finger at the eloquent man in front of them, ignoring Ael's highly confused look on his face.

"YOU. Where's the chest?!"

"Where is and I, you diminutive little toddler of an urchin, do not know where this strongbox might be."

A pause.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

It was Ael's time to snort now, a widening smirk growing on his face.

"Now that, was funny... and really time consuming at the same time."

Raynie was about to counter, fists clenched by her sides as she looked up at the crimson-haired man beside her. A loud interruption stopped her though and not just any normal disturbance either.

It was clapping.

Louder.

Hand against hand sounded all around them!

An audience?

The head-phone wearing stranger erupted with a laugh, perfected within every high and low of pitch within it and then he snapped his right hand in front of him. The sound came in even greater, threatening to take over the ever growing applause surrounding them.

Clapping.

Stronger by the second.

_Clang!_

The background, the atmosphere, everything changed.

An echoed voice.

It boomed through a microphone.

"Who would like to see them deteriorate?!"

Flashes of light met their faces.

An eruption of applause.

Yells twisted in, shouting and screaming in approval

_Clang!_

"Wh-what?!"

Raynie raised her arms in front of her face, Ael doing the same except with just one hand, both of them struggling to see through the blinding light.

The voice sounded again.

It was circus scene!

"Who would like to see them incinerated?!"

More approvals shouted, stabbing in their ears.

"I knew we should have made a run for it ear—AHH!"

The scene changed faster.

Buildings deteriorating.

"Ael!!"

Cobblestone broke in jagged pieces, falling in the opposite way, up toward the sky.

"Who would like to see them die?!"

Whistles and laughter, only adding to the piercing in both Raynie's and Ael's ears, causing them both to slam their hands against them.

It was a useless attempt however.

The noises kept coming!

"How would you like to see them meet their demise?!"

"_Hang in there, Raynie!"_

The colored lights in town broke, shattering like glass around them.

Everything spun in a whirl.

"Would you like to see them decease?! To be no more?!"

Both of them lost their balance.

Their knees unhinged.

_Clang! Clang! _

More lights.

Blaring at them like fire.

Beeps came in in an odd tune.

The claps stronger.

_Bang!_

"Haha, now, now. Calm down, ladies and gentlemen... the show has really just begun!"

The acclamation was no longer in echoes, no longer piercing through them.

Raynie lowered her arms down, her eyes wincing as they adjusted to the current fixtures of lights. Colors everywhere, some of them blinking on and off on the walls and on the ceiling. She stumbled on her feet as soon as her eyes focused clearly on the surroundings, bewilderment marring her.

Ael held dislocation on himself, his hands to his sides, ready to ignite his weapons to life at any moment. His eyes shot with a fierce jade, Raynie's own eyes glowing softly beside him.

They were in a brand new area, completely shut off from the outside. It resembled a modern game show arena, but bigger, like an opera hall tiering at least five stories in audience seats. They couldn't see beyond the first six rows or so, the rest were blanketed in a shroud of black that crept along the flooring and seats. At the stage's edge were lights that blared so strongly around that Raynie could slowly feel the heat prickling at her skin.

At the top was a large dome-like ceiling, cutting off a few feet away from where the stage ended and to either side was black curtains, held off by thick ropes.

"_This doesn't look good...."_

They were the entertainment.

Of what?

Raynie wanted to yell, to scream, but she lost her words. Her throat had clenched closed, like invisible hands gripping their fingers around her neck. She felt her breath hitch as the air around them grew into a smolder, vaporous. It was hard to breathe, fists clenched at her sides resolved to fight the feeling of despair and anxiousness that crept along her spine, whispering into her ears softly.

The applause kept coming.

It didn't stop.

The noise itself made her want to move. To run away, drag her feet past the stage and towards the exit she couldn't see.

Stage fright?

"Raynie."

His voice reached her and she quickly looked at the man, his hair more vibrant as it was hit by the luminous glares of lights before them. She didn't cast her gaze away from his and she didn't know why exactly, but it helped, knowing that she wasn't alone in the strange place.

But the voice came back, louder than ever.

"My contestants! Welcome!"

"Cut the bullshit, what the hell is going on?"

A cry of "Oooh" came from the audience, sounds of opposite ringing through them.

Ael directed the glare, shielding his eyes from the lights with his hand again, his head turned toward them where the figure from before was standing.

"Language, language. I will..."

The way his body was casted, the gleams exploding behind him so his body was in itself hidden in shadow, made him appear like a heartless. His arm suddenly lashed to his side and up into the air in a wind swept motion, finally directing his hand toward Ael, snapping once.

Raynie followed the sound, seeing the very wave of it through the air before it hit Ael, crashing onto him as it forced him to take a step back. The flowing wave filtered into his chest, lines of purple twisting in.

He didn't yell, he tried, but somehow he couldn't at that very moment. His mouth had opened but no sound came through, his eyes following the odd beams of light.

"A-Ael...?"

The girl asked, staring at him, more so at the waves with worry striking on her forehead, her brows pushing together in question. Her left hand rose up, fingers flexing forward to touch his arm when he became complete motionless.

When she was within inches of making contact, he gave a jerk, the smooth coils becoming sharp barbs, now going backwards, pulling out from his chest. His face shifted, pain marking it as he slammed his teeth together. The green of his eyes darkened, shutting his eyelids together as they clasped, his jaw tightening. The lines clasped onto his ribcage, swirling around his bones like wires and they gripped.

Gripping tighter.

It was stabbing him.

Ripping him open from the inside, reaching up into his throat, leaving behind a trail of heat.

And it burned like fire.

The very fire he used to attack.

They swiftly thrashed away, the last of the lines yanking away from him. Within one of the lines was something brightly glowing, encircling in the waves own luminosity, light against dark. It looked like a musical note, like the ones from before. It was set aflames, red flares twirling around it like tentacles. As they moved away, Ael's body stiffened more, he now held his own hands to his neck, his lips opening and closing as he attempted to speak. Nothing came through.

He lost his voice.

They stole his voice!

Raynie's eyes widened, watching him breathe out in pain as he gripped one hand to his chest, feeling the searing flames that were left within. Why did she feel worried over him? Scared even. She hardly knew him!

However, she couldn't stop her own pain inside as she watched him cringe in agony.

"--NOT tolerate that kind of language."

The shadowed man finished his long due sentence, his right hand held up to his side, grasping the flaring musical note in his fingers. Though it was engulfed in flames, it didn't burn his hand at all.

The girl only locked eyes with the note, her right hand clenching itself against her palm, knuckles turning bony white. Ael glanced up at the man, barely standing on his two feet. Raynie noticed this and for some reason she quickly went over, grabbing his arm to help him up. She didn't look at him, keeping her gaze where it had been. He was taken by surprise to say the least, his ears catching her grunt as she growled out between her teeth.

"Don't give up _yet_, idiot."

"Now then, if you are done. Which, I am afraid you are..."

He paused again.

And then his right hand closed, the musical note bursting into red sparkles, flares shooting out so it momentarily illuminated his face with an eerie orange glow.

He wore a twisted grin, amber eyes growing golden with the light as his iris's slit vertically.

The audience roared to life again.

And around them more lights lit up in different colors.

"Time for the games to begin!"

* * *

**A/N: **There will be more characters besides Raynie and Ael soon. : D Introduced one of the many baddies, you can say he's the most... umm, I dunno actually. He's just weird... and psychotic, awfully polite and... he wears headphones. Cirrrcus sceeeneee~

**Disclaimer: **KH and FFVII do not belong to me, all of it belongs to Square-Enix.


	5. Four Motions

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Four**

"Motions"

どう

A jolly tune was playing.

Booming through gigantic speakers.

Towering over the audience as they clapped and sang along.

In the middle of it all was the ringleader, arms held out as he welcomed his praises.

Everything was going perfect.

The show will be a success!

_They absolutely love me... _

_How could they not, I ask? _

He stood grinning, pearly white teeth flashing without a trace of imperfection. Letting the round of

applause fill his soul, drumming against his ears, his arms slowly lowering to his sides, straightening his jacket. The heated bulbs of light never affecting him as they did the players of the game.

Standing behind him in confusion, no bet.

_Ten, nine, eight_...

They were back from commercials and the timer was counting down till they were live on air once again.

_Seven, six, five_...

The man took the last seconds to utter a warning to his contestants, he turned his head slightly in their direction.

_four, three_...

But his eyes never met them.

"Try to act a little more, oh say... excited, will you?"

_two_...

He was given a grunt in response and the start of a long string of insults. Before that could even happen, an alarm blared and the audience, shrouded still in shadow, only roared higher.

..._one._

Their noises thundering,

tuning out the beat of her own heart,

while the man only bowed and acted in humility as he begged them to stop.

"Bastard. He loves this crap..."

Raynie muttered out, keeping her position by Ael as he only silently struggled. Her arm was meagerly wrapped around his torso as his own arm weakly lolled around her shoulders.

How were they going to get out of this one?! Whatever this one is in the first place.

It can be safely said that they were in an arena, a game show, a stage. It can also be safely said that they were being held against their will, with Ael's voice 'stolen' and her materias held captive. But, it can also be said that the materias aren't all that important. What ties did she have with them that she cared for so strongly right now? Sure, they were powerful as Aerith had said earlier and yes, they were hers. Her own possession. Something she could easily rub against the ninja girl's nose as some trophy of some kind. Yeah, that heightened it's importance alright.

But what if they had to choose?

"_You can't seriously..."_

Between his voice and her materia?

"_Oh come on, Ray."_

Surely that walking circus wouldn't let hem have both.

"_This is a guy's voice we're talkin' about here!"_

Surely she wouldn't go out helping him of all things! She hardly knew him!

"_He saved your life back there."_

Why would she risk the materias for some... idiot's voice?!

"_He saved your life!" _

How could she let go something that would easily make her ten times stronger?!

Raynie managed to ignore the lingering voice in her mind, the one that always knew the right moment when to step in and intrude her thoughts. The one who repeatedly refused to say who or what he was even though he somehow had full access to the privacy in her head. Her head! Her mind! And this only made her grind her teeth together as she subconsciously adjusted her arm around Ael's body.

The voice droned out as a filter and static of clapping came through.

At this time, the walking circus had begun pacing across the stage, swinging his arms proudly as he kept shouting, rallying the audience even further.

_clap, clap, clap..._

To this she paid no mind either.

_clap, clap, clap..._

She had to save herself.

_clap... clap... clap..._

Screw the rest.

_shhhhhhhh.... _

"What do you say?"

Raynie blinked twice, her lips parted by a mere inch, her eyes refocusing onto the figure before Ael and her. He had spoken and appearantly had asked a question which at the moment...

"What?"

needed some repeating.

"You mean to say, "can you repeat that, please?"."

The man, their captive and ringleader urged and she could just picture a wide sneer across his face as it

was suddenly entombed into shadow.

The clapping stopped,

everything stopped.

The girl remained silenced, refusing to follow along with the script and even more so refusing to be even the slightest bit polite to him of all people. Ael said nothing. Obviously. He only shifted his weight as he had done so a minute ago, his eyes darting forward with an intense gaze. She could swear his eyes were glowing when she had uttered a glance to his face.

"_He saved your life!" _

He did.

"I said, are you insolent brats ready to play now?"

But who cares.

"Get on with it, jerkwad."

Raynie muttered out, just loud enough to jump over the jinling tunes and rapid beeps coming from the bright lights and overly large speakers hanging above them.

"...Very well."

Maybe the man grew tired of stretching this out for so long as he laid their brief bickering to rest. Unknowing to anyone, he had quite painfully bitten down on his tongue, a sharp tooth piercing straight through as he contained his voice. Contained his insults and correcting.

For now.

"As you can see,"

He paused.

So dramatic.

A few gasps and whispers were heard from the audience below and far, their awkward shapes jumbling, molding within the darkness that laid ahead of the stage. All that was truly visible were their eyes. Small and yellow, widening like plate saucers when anything, such as this, caught their attention.

"I have in my possession something each of you hold dear."

With this his right arm slashed forward

"Call it two things. One for each actually."

and in a quick swipe through the air, a brief surge of wind gliding past his fingers. If anyone could describe it, he had literally sliced through the air itself.

Just as his movement was done and not a second later, the same metal chest appeared by his side, floating with a soft glow surrounding it. It was also partly transparent, like a ghostly image of what it should really be.

The girl's eyes narrowed at the sight. It was her prize and the damned idiot had it!

Blue freaking haired freak!

"Materia."

He spoke, a taunting edge in his velvet voice, motioning toward the item.

And though his voice was at normal volume to both Raynie and Ael, his voice came out booming through the speakers and out into the crowd.

"A powerful thing, so powerful. Each one holding a different sort of magic, either for destruction or for saving. For death or for life."

Again, a pause.

Now his eyes narrowed, copying Raynie's own expression though his held more menace and more experience in letting others feel fear through his gaze. For a split second, she saw his iris slit like a cat's eye but smaller. His golden color becoming brighter, matching the audience's own eyes.

"For order or chaos."

A small lump made it's way down Raynie's throat, the corner of her lips turning downward a little as his words reached her ears.

_clap, clap, clap..._

He finished, eyes turning normal or as normal as they can look and then he turned his sight toward Ael, bracing his arms behind his back as he stood straighter than a piece of board.

"You. Ael, is it?"

Ael made no motion, not even the slightest nod of his head to even acknowledge the man before them. Raynie had managed another glance at him, but not before feeling the hand he held on her shoulder tighten.

This made her worry.

A twinge of regret for what she had felt earli--

_No! I don't care about his stupid ass! _

She pushed it aside, her eyes quickly darting toward the ringleader again, ignoring the strong hand and ignoring how a glint of worry had passed through his eyes. Eyes that had been intense, strong and brightly green, were now slowly dulling with a certain sadness that she couldn't place her finger on.

_And I don't want to!_

To this her mouth formed a scowl, feeling the urge to bring her arm back, away from Ael so she could cross it over her chest.

"Yes, Ael it is."

The stranger of a man whom they had given many titles to now for the past hour or so concluded. He made no facial expression and no fancy waving of his arm this time. No, all he did was wait.

Wait until a certain light came on to the left of them.

_flash! _

_clap, clap, clap..._

Raynie's brow formed a frown on her forehead as she felt the smoldering light by them, a new one unlike the other ones that had held them in place.

Ael had merely let the corners of his own mouth fall, no longer holding a firm line as his head turned toward the source of the light.

He took no longer than a second to let his eyes do the talking.

They opened wide.

Maybe wider than the audience and their constant clapping and yelling of joy.

"_You'll come back for me..."_

Ael could feel his heart dropping to the deepest pit of his stomach at the sight.

His hand tensed tightly, body shaking.

"_right?"_

The heart that belonged to him only jumped back up, lodging itself into his throat as his mouth opened, never uttering a word.

Raynie had seen what lay to the left of them, but she only grew in confusion.

Before said feeling could rise any further, she felt Ael's hand tense again, stronger this time, digging into her shoulder as she felt his very body shake.

"Hey..."

She turned her head toward him, the audience's noise making her only grow in anxiety as well, but nothing did it further than the look on Ael's face.

_What's wrong with him? _

He looked scared.

_clap, clap, clap..._

No, he looked terrified.

Terrifed and scared, horrified even.

As if...

"Hmm, you can sense it can't you, Ael?"

Ael didn't speak.

If he could, he still wouldn't.

The stranger spoke again, urging him on as his hand finally motioned toward the next "item".

She held her gaze on Ael's face still, shifting it toward the unknown man for a moment before coming back to those scared green eyes.

Ael didn't look at her, he stayed fixated by the... the thing next to them, his lips softly trembling.

Raynie could tell he was holding back, the way his eyes became fierce and soft at the same time, tears waiting to burst out.

"Whose is it?!"

She couldn't stop herself from asking, no matter how much she didn't care, the question just came out. Though he directed it at the ringleader, she had her eyes at Ael's face the entire time.

It was like waiting for him to explode.

And the pain she felt on her shoulder should have been enough for her to step away.

But... she couldn't.

"_He saved your life."_

_I would have been fine!_

A chuckle came from the figure, blue-haired and heartless, as he walked toward the said item, his boots thumping softly onto the sleek stage floor. His image mirrored along the finishing.

"He senses it, I can feel it, I can see it!"

He ranted on, throwing both hands into the air, sounding like he suddenly realized a fascinating fact. He walked on, never bothering to look at either Ael or Raynie, approaching the item closer now.

But what was it?

"In his eyes, that look he has. Just look. He knows whose it is, where it was and...!"

A pause.

The audience silenced abruptly, their noise neither echoing off or fading away.

It just stopped.

…

"Get on with it already, dumbass!"

She had enough of the suspense, of the pauses and it's utterly idiotic drama that followed. It had to stop and it was stopping right now!

Raynie shot a glare at the man, crystalline eyes brightly showing anger.

_I don't care about Ael, about this... this stupid--! _

"It's his sister's heart."

Deadpan.

That was his voice as he spoke, now currently holding within his right hand the said heart.

Maybe it was statement that silenced her thoughts.

Maybe it was the way Ael simply crumbled to his knees by her side, his hand sliding off of her shoulder as she did nothing to help him.

Maybe, it was the heart itself.

How she now, all of a sudden noticed it truly.

"_It's his sister's heart."_

How it belonged to...

The heart seemed to fade in and out, but did not hold a permanent ghostly facade like the chest had. It thumped with each fade, a change in it's orange hue darkening and becoming softer with each thump. The heart itself was not an organ, but a simple shell instead. Transparent like glass with cracks jagging around it and a strange black fume, a purple lining it, making an 'x' across its form as it encircled it.

Within the heart was a flowing fire, sparking hitting the shell like fireworks minus the noise, slowly ignited inside.

"Your sister, Shani I believe her name was, was... well, quite hard to track down."

The man muttered, looking at Ael briefly before he went back to gazing into the heart.

"She put up such a fight."

The flame-haired man, held his gaze down, his wild bangs covering his eyes as he remained on the floor. Raynie stood rigid, unable to look down at him, unable to think back on the things she thought about.

"_His voice wouldn't be much of a prize, I guess... right?" _

She winced at his voice, her hands balling into fists.

"A strong one, really. Hah, do you know..."

At this, the man directed his eyes back at Ael's kneeling body supported only by his hands on the floor as he kept shaking.

The man's eyes narrowed again like they had done before, this time there was no menace, no fear...

"How loudly she screamed for you when I ripped open her chest...?"

Only pure joy.

_click, click, click..._

She didn't know what possessed her at that moment.

How the images of her own body, laying on a bed, having her own heart grabbed at and cut away at, made it's way to her eyes.

_click, click, click..._

Images of a man with spiky hair and bright blue-green eyes flashed in front of her.

His laugh, his voice.

_click, click, click, click..._

His laughter.

"_Come on, Raynie! We're gonna be late!"_

_click._

Raynie didn't care what prompted her feet to start her running, pounding against the floor like a ton of rocks as her heart pounded faster by the second. Anger and pain rushed into her, flowing like the blood flowed in her very veins. Her eyes losing focus as she reached forward, ready to tangle her fingers around the ringleader's neck.

Ready to crush his neck as painfully as she could.

But as soon as his neck was within reach,

she passed right through him.

"Agh!"

She tumbled forward, hastily stopping her pace, turning on her heel to face him only to see him relocated by Ael.

_How did--?! _

"So impatient, aren't we? I do have more to explain you know."

"I—He doesn't care!"

Raynie gestured toward Ael, who at the moment was now pushing himself off of the floor, albeit

shakingly.

"I'm sure he does actually, because her life, his sister's..."

The ringleader no looked at Ael who stood at his height, eyes now full of anger and nothing else. He

looked ready to pounce just as Raynie had done.

"life depends on whether or not he listens. Both of you."

But he stopped at hearing this, fists only clenching by his sides.

Raynie huffed out, finally able to cross her arms across her chest as she stood by, moving only close enough to them both as she stayed quiet.

"_Guess your original plan just went down the drain, huh?" _

There he goes again.

_Shut the crap up. _

Their captor waited a moment longer before he continued, the heart still resting on the palm of his hand like a bulb of fire.

"As I said, before I rudely interrupted..."

The girl's mouth parted to shoot an insult the size of a meteor, but he stopped her just in time.

"Shani's life depends on whether the two of you can win this game of mine. So does your precious materia."

At the word 'materia', he glanced at Raynie, a disdainful look covering his eyes and then turned back to look at the heart in his hand. Now that Raynie noticed, the black fumes, tendrils more like it, connected into his own palm, surging out through his skin.

"I may have her heart, but she is very much alive surprisingly enough. Her very being was so strong, she only became a... Nobody, as we like to call them. Nothings devoid of hearts, but yet... alive at the same time. Remarkable really. But getting back to my point, you both will have seven days to win... or to lose."

He chuckled and just as he did, he closed his hand, enveloping the heart with his fingers till the very thing blew out into a smoke, a fire extinguished.

Ael stepped forward, alarm written on his face at the sight. But the man, the ringleader, held out his other hand to stop him and somehow he did, like an invisible rope had wrapped itself around Ael and held him in place.

"Seven days is what you both will have to recover what you've lost. Not just the two items I possess, but... much more, I assure you. During these seven days, you will face tribulations of which you will never and can never imagine. You will be given tasks by my other six associates and I assure you... they will not make it easy. Why? Because they will try to stop you, they will do anything they can to do so. No rules, no laws to abide by..."

Both of his arms lowered, letting them rest by his sides.

"anything goes."

The audience came to life again, a surge of energy emerging from them as cackles and laughter sounded.

_clap, clap, clap!_

"Why are you doing this? This can't all just be for fun!"

Raynie shouted, trying to make her voice heard over the constant yells from the crowd. She felt nervous, probably, but annoyance was the one clear thing that rung true in her right now.

"You will know soon enough, it must be like this... it must all go according to plan."

There was that deadpanned voice again, like he didn't care or couldn't care.

The man motioned toward Ael now, a simple flick of his wrist and a bolt of red shot right through Ael's throat, engulfing that area with a sickly crimson hue before completely disappearing.

Ael coughed out loud, grasping his throat with his hand.

His voice was back.

"Do you two agree with these terms?"

"What..."

Ael let out a hoarse word, coughing again as he strained to speak, his voice slowly coming back to him.

"What if... if we don't complete a t-task?"

"Hm, yes. If both of you do not complete your given task within that one day, one of you will suffer the penalties. It depends on my associate as to what penalty it would be, but I can assure you it will not be death... yet. Do you agree now?"

Ael nodded quickly. The life of his sister at stake. Why would he even think about it? He had to do it. He had no choice.

The ringleader looked over at Raynie who held her pose as she looked off past his shoulder, biting down on her bottom lip.

"And you?"

Silence.

"_Don't think about this! You have to do it! Not just for the materia but for his sister, Raynie!"_

"_The materia isn't that important to me anyway! I'll still be strong and... Ael... well..." _

"_This isn't just a game, it's a person's life at stake. You don't think these things through so much!" _

"_My life is also at stake here if you don't recall, idiot!" _

"_You have to do it!" _

"_No, I don't!" _

"_Yes, you do!" _

"_No!" _

"_Yes!" _

"_I said no!" _

"_I said yes!" _

"_No damnit!" _

"Fine, I'll do it!"

Raynie's hand flew up to her mouth, clasping her fingers tightly as she groaned out with realization to what she had just agreed on.

The words flew out. Again. Just like before.

It was like it didn't even process through her mind before making its way to her mouth.

It just happened.

Like someone else controlled her for a brief moment.

_Damnit damnit damnit!!_

Her eyes squeezed shut and let herself conclude that it was some stupid conscience she had hidden inside that made the decision for her.

A decision that will either let her live or kill her.

Ael looked at her, his jaw tightening, not wanting to bring her into this, not wanting to even have her

tag along. But she had stake in this as well, no matter what.

"Very good. Now that that is settled, brats..."

No longer was his flat voice apparent or his face stoic and cold.

He held the same attitude as before, a mix of excitement and danger.

A gleam of evil striking his eyes again, raising him back to life.

Behind him his eager crowd jumped from their seats, raising their arms in the air as they hollered and screamed like banshees.

"Remember, kiddies..."

Both Ael and Raynie looked at him, both of them wondering what was in store.

Wondering who would make it out alive.

Who would possibly die.

"You have seven days with seven enemies awaiting you."

"You said six."

Raynie spoke up, but her voice wasn't strong, it was only halfway there.

"Six, yes."

He answered and then took a step closer, exposing him into the light some more, his headphones jumbling around his neck.

"But you forget me, my dear. So that makes it seven. The Disorder Seven, more like it and you are our first players."

The two players stiffened, each one holding their own facial expression of a mix of different feelings.

"I would say I wish you both good luck, but..."

With that he rose his arm again, his smirk stretching, revealing sharp teeth glimmering white against

the spotlights.

"I honestly don't wish it."

His arm slashed through the air like before and with that the both of them were gone in a flash, leaving behind the roar of the crowd.

By now the lights surrounding the stage were going out one by one with a clang, the jingle of tunes coming from the speakers fading into static and scratches. The audience began disappearing as well, their shadowed bodies blowing out like smoke from a candle until the only one left was the ringleader himself.

He stood in center stage, raising the headphones up to his ear as the slow hum of a song seeped out from them.

The last light illuminated him and him alone.

A smile broke out, whether fake or true, on his face before he hung his head downward, away from the heat of the light on him.

Slowly, the light faded.

But he faded first.

* * *

**A/N:** WHOA. Okay, long chapter... maybe, kinda sorta. So the real fun begins now, yay! And... not so yay for our main characters though. Anyway, I'm debating right now if I'll do just seven more chapters, each representing the seven days or split them in half. But I think I'll go with the former than the latter as of now. I might end up changing my mind or somethin'. I dunnnoooo.

I think you can kind of tell how the game will end. Kind of anyway. But I won't say more on that! Hush hush. Now that I know where this is really going, my chapter updates should be quicker even though the chapters might be longer now considering. We'll see I guess. And no name for this chapter, daaw.

Also, fun fact, Shani means fire in Hebrew so I thought it appropriate and all with the Ael/Axel thing.


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